Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI)
and the Village of Royal Palm
Beach hosted the annual Cultural Diversity Day on Saturday,
May 7 at Veterans Park in Royal
Palm Beach. Page 3

RPB Council Hears
Report From Water
Plant Task Force

The Royal Palm Beach Village
Council voted unanimously last
week to accept the report by its
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Task Force regarding a pr oposed land use designation for
the 151-acre parcel. However,
the council deferred further
action on the site. Page 4

PBCHS Awarded Pizza
For Taking Part In ‘Cell
Phones For Soldiers’

As a prize for winning second
place in the “Cell Phones for
Soldiers” program, Palm Beach
Central High School students
were treated to free pizza May
4 and 5. Page 5

ACS Relay For Life
Returns To Wellington

ThinkPINKkids held its annual 5k “Walk to Win the Battle Against Breast Cancer” on Friday,
May 6 at Wellington High School. Students walked to raise funds while enjoying food and drink
as well as live performances and raffle prizes. All proceeds go to Scripps Florida and Your
Bosom Buddies II. Pictured above are thinkPINKkids committee members.
MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 13
PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

By Lauren Miró
Town-Crier Staff Report
Work began Tuesday on the
new state-of-the-art dressage facility that will soon be the home
of the Global Dressage Festival set
to debut for the 2011-12 equestrian season.
Members of Wellington Equestrian Partners, along with prominent dressage riders and members
of the equestrian community,
broke ground Tuesday on the future multimillion-dollar facility at
the 57-acre site of the former Palm
Beach Polo stadium at the northeast corner of South Shore Blvd.

and Pierson Road in Wellington.
The new facility will be an expansion of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, where
competitors from around the
world come for high-level hunter
and show jumping events during
the winter months. The expansion
will allow for the same level of
competition for the sport of dressage, which is rapidly growing in
popularity.
“There’s a great following in
Wellington,” Equestrian Sport
Productions CEO Mark Bellissimo said. “It’s probably the fastest-growing discipline in equestri-

Wellington Council
Favors Rebuilding
Community Center
By Lauren Miró
Town-Crier Staff Report
Plans to knock down and rebuild the Wellington Community
Center are underway after the
Wellington Village Council voted
unanimously Tuesday to direct
staff to pursue the $5.1 million
project.
The Wellington Community
Center, known once as the Wellington Club East, was built more
than 30 years ago as a country
club. In October 1998, the village
inked a deal to purchase the club
and turn it into the community
center.
In its time as a civic building,
the Wellington Community Center has been home not only to the
council but also to many popular
activities for children, adults and

seniors. Over the years, it has been
remodeled to suit the needs of the
community.
The building was not designed
to be a community center, however, and has several design flaws.
The most critical is a steep hill at
the entrance of the center, which
poses a problem for elderly residents. Because the building was
built before the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 was in
effect, better access wasn’t required.
However, senior services are
among the key functions the building is eyed to serve now that the
council has moved to the new
municipal complex.
Director of Operations Jim Barnes noted that to continue using
See REBUILD, page 7

Show Promoters Break Ground Park Project, Roads
On Large New Dressage Facility Loom Large In Next
Year’s ITID Budget

The American Cancer Society’s
Relay for Life will return to Wellington this weekend. The overnight event will take place Saturday and Sunday, May 14-15,
at Village Park on Pierson
Road. The cancer-fighting
event will star t at 2 p.m. Saturday and last 18 hours to raise
money for cancer-fighting programs. Page 7

an sports. We always had a longterm goal to have it, but we just
didn’t do it well in its current incarnation. We decided that we
wanted to work on something on
an international scale.”
And to do that, Bellissimo partnered with six-time Olympic dressage rider Robert Dover, dressage
enthusiast Kim Boyer and prominent dressage journalist Ken Braddick.
“We decided to craft a vision of
what dressage could look like in
Wellington in a dedicated facility,” Bellissimo said, “and really
change the world market.”
Recently, Equestrian Sport Productions received a special use
permit to hold dressage competitions on the property, as well as a
land development permit to begin
construction on the iconic site,
which is considered by many to
be the birthplace of equestrian
sports in Wellington.
The new facility will feature
plenty of amenities to attract dressage riders and enthusiasts alike,
including an exhibition area with
several arenas, a covered arena
and lighted practice space, as well
as permanent stables and bridle
trails.
Also planned for future phases
are a hotel/condominiums on site,
See DRESSAGE, page 22

Supervisor Darlene Crawford
Drops Out Of LGWCD Election
By Lauren Miró
LGWCD Attorney Mary Viator
Town-Crier Staff Report
told the Town-Crier that because
Loxahatchee Groves Water the filing date for new candidates
Control District Supervisor Dar- had passed, the seats would autolene Crawford announced Mon- matically go to Widing and Schiday, May 9 that she is abandon- ola. “They’re considered elected,”
ing her bid for reshe said.
election to a seat on LGWCD Referendum
However, Viator
the LGWCD Board
On Voting Change
noted that Crawford
of Supervisors.
Could Be Expensive, would have to subAt the board’s
mit in writing her
PAGE 4
meeting Monday,
resignation from the
Crawford said she made the deci- election to the Palm Beach Counsion for personal reasons.
ty Supervisor of Elections.
Crawford was one of three canIn other business, the supervididates running for two seats on sors voted unanimously to desigthe board in a proxy vote by acre- nate a portion of the E Road canal
age election scheduled for June maintenance road as a pedestrian
27. Supervisor Don Widing is also and equestrian greenway trail.
up for re-election, while commuThe pathway runs along the canity activist Frank Schiola was nal easement on E Road north of
hoping to secure a seat on the Okeechobee Blvd. to North Road.
board.
It now is blocked by several gates,

which were put up by property
owners.
Crawford originally broached
the subject with the board, suggesting that the pathway would be
a great area for pedestrians or
equestrians.
LGWCD Administrator Clete
Saunier said that the district contacted the two property owners
who had put the gates up. He said
they were amiable to removing the
gates but had some concerns.
One asked to place a gate across
the bridge on his property. Both
were concerned about unauthorized vehicles, such as all-terrain
vehicles, being used on the property and the liability incurred with
it.
Supervisor John Ryan worried
that the staff’s recommendation to
See LGWCD, page 22

By Lauren Miró
Town-Crier Staff Report
The Indian Trail Improvement
District Board of Supervisors discussed its proposed 2011-12 budget on Wednesday, May 11. The
budget, which is expected to
slightly lower assessments for
most units, will be dominated by
road projects and the Acreage
Community Park expansion.
ITID Financial Director Emily
Poundstone told the supervisors
that the proposed budget is the
lowest in five years, with assessments approximately 4 percent
less on average than the current
year, and 19 percent less than in
2007.
Among the major budget goals
expressed by the board at its budget workshop were to keep assessments low while maintaining the
current level of services, road
maintenance, “Welcome” signs at
The Acreage’s borders and
progress on the southern expansion of Acreage Community Park.
The largest portion of the budget, about 31 percent, will be focused on road maintenance,
Poundstone said. That includes a
budgeted $1.4 million reserved for

road improvements. “And there
are no assessment dollars related
to these projects,” she said.
Poundstone noted that there are
approximately 41 road projects
either completed or set to be completed by September as part of last
year’s budget.
About 24 percent of the budget
will consist of utility sale funds,
which includes the park expansion. Poundstone said that $4 million is reserved for the park expansion. “The board stressed this
as a priority in the budget workshop,” she said.
Because of the use of the utility
sale funds, the district reserves
would be down about $4.3 million, she said.
The parks budget is down 30
percent, Poundstone said, due to
the number of capital improvements completed last year.
“Most of these were one-time
projects approved by the board
last year,” she said. “There isn’t
as much in the plans for this year.”
Another area with a slight decrease is the maintenance and operations department.
Supervisor Carol Jacobs said
See ITID BUDGET, page 22

TEACHER APPRECIATION

The Palms West Chamber of Commerce held its 14th annual
Teacher Appreciation Social on Thursday, May 5 cent er court
at the original Wellington Mall. Shown here are Pierce Hammock Elementary School’s Marie Zarecki, Kristen King, Natalie
Garcia and Rogaya Miller. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5
PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

P.W. Chamber Members Try Their Hand At Budgeting
By Lauren Miró
Town-Crier Staff Report
Members of the Palms West
Chamber of Commerce got the
opportunity to put their budgeting
skills to the test at a luncheon
Monday, May 9 as they tried to
balance Wellington’s municipal
budget for the upcoming year.
Held at the Wanderers Club at
Wellington, the program was
sponsored by the village and
posed four budgetary questions to
the attendees and asked them to
vote on how they’d spend Wellington’s limited funds.
Wellington Director of Financial Management & Budget
Mireya McIlveen told chamber

members that the village is facing
another tough year, with tax revenue falling about 10 percent.
“That’s our budget challenge
this year,” she said. “We’re facing a $650,000 to $1.5 million
deficit.”
To help residents better understand the budget process, Wellington has put together an interactive
budget challenge available at
www.wellingtonfl.gov, where
anyone can try to balance Wellington’s finances by choosing
which programs to cut and how
much.
“It guides the participant
through a series of budget questions that our council and staff are

actually dealing with,” McIlveen
said, and they include, “how are
we going to deliver the services,
and what level of service are we
going to deliver to our residents.”
Wellington will be hosting similar presentations with other
groups, hoping to get the word out
about budget cuts early, long before the budget must be approved.
For the chamber luncheon, participants were given four areas to
either finance with the same
amount of money, cut money from
or provide more: law enforcement, parks and recreation, the
Safe Neighborhoods initiative and
landscaping.
Each table had to come to a con-

sensus on what to do about each
area, lock in their vote, and then
the results were instantly tabulated and put into a graph on an interactive screen at the front of the
room.
McIlveen noted that about $3
million in cuts have already been
made and that the numbers in the
exercise reflect those cuts.
“We’ve cut the budget,” she
said. “We’ve flipped our service
delivery model. We’ve gone to all
of the department heads to find out
in what areas we can reduce. After that, we still have [a deficit].”
Deputy Village Manager John
Bonde explained that Wellington
has contracted with the Palm

Beach County Sheriff’s Office to
provide law enforcement in the
village, at a lower cost than running its own department.
“We spent this year $7.8 million on law enforcement,” he said.
“Law enforcement is our biggestticket item. It’s 60 percent of the
taxes that we collect.”
That total includes the cost for
59 core deputies, five civilian staff
members and 53 crossing guards.
Chamber members could vote
to keep the law enforcement budget the same, increase it by 2 percent, which would add two deputies or 10 crossing guards, cut it
by 2 percent, which would lose
See CHAMBER, page 22

Page 2

Ma y 13 - May 19, 2011

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NEWS

South Florida Green Conference Next Week In West Palm Beach
By Chris Felker
Town-Crier Staff Report
The 2011 South Florida Green,
Energy & Climate Conference/
Expo, produced by the Palms
West Chamber of Commerce, will
be staged Tuesday and Wednesday, May 17 and 18, at the Palm
Beach County Convention Center. This one-of-a-kind program
focuses on education and networking designed to advance entrepreneurs and their businesses in
America’s new green economy.
Speakers, intensive sessions,
panel discussions and workshops
focused on building socially responsible and sustainable enter-

prises will be combined with opportunities to engage in dialogues
with leading industry, government, consumer and academic
experts.
The 2011 conference will again
feature the “100 Cities Summit”
program that brings together leading policymakers and sustainability managers from cities throughout Florida to create a coalition of
support for long-term “green”
strategic objectives. That program
is by invitation only.
The chamber is also excited
about the return of its special education program designed to “pass
the baton” to future environmen-

talists attending Palm Beach
County schools, according to the
chamber’s Anitra Harmon. The
highlight of the day for the 70 or
so local schoolchildren expected
to attend, she said, is the announcement of the winners of the
conference’s essay contest.
“We work very closely with the
school district on the program.
This is the second year of the program, and we have environmental and science students from five
Palm Beach County schools, two
high schools and three middle
schools,” Harmon said. “The idea
is to encourage the young environmentalists of the future. They

participate in their own special
two-hour program, which this
year is all about the Lake Worth
Lagoon, and then we bring them
into the main ballroom during
lunch, and the winners of the essay contest are announced.”
Local political leaders who will
make presentations at the conference include U.S. Rep. Ted
Deutch (D-District 19), State Sen.
Maria Sachs (D-District 30), State
Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto (R-District 27), State Rep. Joe Abruzzo
(D-District 85), Palm Beach
County Commissioner Shelley
Vana and Broward County Commissioner Kristin Jacobs.

Among the expert presenters
are David DeVos, global director
of sustainability for Prudential
Real Estate Investors, and Claude
Ouimet, senior vice president and
general manager of InterfaceFLOR Canada & Latin America.
The county leaders will be sharing their experiences as members
of the Southeast Florida Regional
Climate Change Compact, a joint
commitment by Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe
counties to partner in mitigating
the causes and adapting to the consequences of climate change.
Continuing Education Credits
are available for professionals at-

tending breakout sessions pertinent to their area of expertise. Sessions run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
both days.
The convention center is at 650
Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm
Beach. For more info., visit www.
floridagreenconference.com or
call Harmon at (561) 790-6200 or
e-mail anitra@palmswest.com.

COLORFUL COSTUMES, PERFORMANCES MARK RPB’S CULTURAL DIVERSITY DAY
Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) and the Village of Royal Palm Beach hosted the annual Cultural Diversity
Day on Saturday, May 7 at Veterans Park in Royal Palm Beach. Guests enjoyed food, entertainments, arts, crafts and performances
celebrating a varie ty of different cultures.
PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER

Members of Palm Beach Hindu Mandir.

Erick Maldonado, Dimitri Poulard and Robert Killby of Actors
on the Run perform a comedic version of Romeo and Juliet.

… it s about your complete life
It’s not simply about portfolio
holdings and account balances.
It’s about your complete life.
You should have a wealth
management partner who
understands that. Who cares about your personal goals
for your family, your business, your future. Who can give
you comfort in making decisions that not only support
your financial objectives, but that help ensure you have
time to do the things you enjoy with those you love.

‘Pill Mill Bill’ Is Far From Perfect, But It Is A Necessary First Step
On the final day of its recent session, the Florida Legislature finally pulled the trigger on
the long-awaited “pill mill bill” aimed at cracking down on how pain management clinics
operate throughout the state. This comes several months after a portion of previous legislation had been put on hold as part of Gov. Rick Scott’s freeze on new state regulations.
Supporters of the legislation are relieved that it has finally become a reality. However,
although most have celebrated the bill’s passing, not everyone shared the same level of
optimism for the final form. While many were pleased that the House and Senate were
able to hash out their differences and manage to include the key elements, critics argue
that there are serious loopholes that will undermine the bill’s overall efforts.
One of the biggest loopholes concerns exemptions for special types of doctors. Whereas
physicians running their own office must adhere to the new rules, that’s not the case for
surgeons, anesthesiologists, neurologists and pain management doctors with board certification and extra training. Were they a minority group that comprised only a small percentage of pain clinics in the state, this wouldn’t be a problem. But the number of clinics
owned by such doctors is quite sizeable. Still, just because a doctor’s office is exempt
doesn’t mean laws will be broken. The law is not designed to stop legitimate doctors from
operating, only unscrupulous practitioners who run the so-called “pill mills,” using a phony medical practice as a license to deal in illicit drugs.

The bill is not perfect, but make no mistake: it is a necessary first step to break Florida’s
reputation as the nation’s primary source of illegal pharmaceuticals. If this bill succeeds,
then when we look at state statistics years from now, not only will we see a decrease in the
number of pill mills, but the number of deaths from prescription drugs will have reduced
as well. After all, saving lives is what is at the heart of this legislation.
However, while this undoubtedly will prevent people from becoming addicts in the
future, it begs the question of what will happen to the scores of current addicts whose drug
supplies are about to be cut off. Presumably, these are the people the state is looking out
for, yet their well-being has largely been absent from this conversation. To assume they
will simply stop using drugs is naïve. Unfortunately, the stigma associated with their
condition may prevent them from seeking the treatment they need. Perhaps there should
be some effort into making treatment more accessible.
Right now the main concern has been how to get the bad guys. There have been plenty
of obstacles to keeping them in line, and the recent legislation will make enforcement far
easier. But in the end, that’s not enough. What is also needed is education for the young
and a way out for the addicts. If the state could make significant progress in either of those
areas, we could do to these white-collar drug dealers what no amount of law enforcement
can — steal their customers.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Chamber
Supports
Wellington
Campus
Editor’s note: The following letter by Wellington Chamber of
Commerce Executive Director
Michela Perillo-Green was written on behalf of the chamber’s
board of directors and executive
committee and is addressed to the
Wellington Village Council.
Honorable Mayor Bowen and
Wellington Village Council:
The Board of Directors of the
Wellington Chamber of Commerce supports the suggested use
of the “K-Park” property owned
by the village for a college/university campus, specifically that proposed by Palm Beach State College.
In addition to the direct investment in our community, the ripple effect through future years including but not limited to local
expenditures of students, faculty,
staff and the college, their contributions to demand for local business, and the value of public uses
of the college’s facilities and its
public events should be more positive than the other activities currently envisioned for the site.
Although it is impossible at this
early stage to estimate the true
economic impact of establishing
a Palm Beach State College campus in Wellington, there is ample
evidence from neighboring com-

munities to suggest that it would
be quite significant. In 2008-09,
PBSC generated $344 million in
economic impact and created
2,400 full- and part-time jobs in
the county. The campus would
have a certain impact by providing increased tax revenues, raise
wages by providing a more educated work force, attract new businesses and better jobs, and provide
facilities for community use. Locating the campus of Palm Beach
State College in the Village of
Wellington will broaden the local
tax base and help to secure a more
stable financial future.
We encourage the council to
consider pursuing the current proposal put forth by Palm Beach
State College. After proper consideration of due diligence and
valuation issues and with the understanding that the village may
be required to make a financial
contribution, we urge you to enter into negotiations and an agreement to sell the entire 68-acre parcel to the college and bring this
western communities campus to
Wellington.
Michela Perillo-Gr een,
Executive Director
Wellington Chamber
of Commerce

Patriot Memorial
An Honorable
Undertaking
I take exception to the letter by

Barbara Tucker, “Memorial Is Not
Needed” published in the April 29
Town-Crier. The Patriot Memorial is a wonderful thing for Wellington. Wellington will have a
landmark for all who come to visit will see how its citizens have
chosen to honor the victims of the
terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001
— even more importantly now
that Osama bin Laden has been
made into fish food.
The fact that the money will
come from private donations is a
plus for the village’s stretched
budget. Some of the money has
already been raised privately, no
doubt much of the total will eventually. Whatever fraction the Wellington Village Council will share
will well be worth the investment
as people from all over the world
will make it their business to see
this when traveling to South Florida.
Ms. Tucker appears to “protesteth too much.” She needs to
lighten up. Federal budget cuts
and Tallahassee fiscal wrestling
are not about Wellington making
a place for honoring the 9/11 victims. So what if we don’t have a
piece of the Pentagon or of the
plane that crashed in Pennsylvania? We are doing what we can. It
is admirable and honorable.
Aside from my disagreement
with her, her seemingly gratuitous
and supercilious attack on Mr.
[Ernie] Zimmerman was uncalled
for and distasteful. She needs to
apologize. Mr. Zimmerman is a

well-respected citizen of Wellington, a combat veteran and a lineof-duty-injured New York City
police officer. There is no justification for singling him out for
abuse.
By extension, I also observe another gratuitous attack on anyone
from New York. This is truly baseless. Yes, the World Trade Center
was in New York City. New York
City is just as much a part of the
United States of America as is
Wellington. To honor the victims
with a memorial made of salvaged
parts of the WTC here in Wellington is a worthy and worthwhile
cause and has nothing to do with
politics, distrust of New Yorkers,
or any other xenophobic mendacious sophistry some narrowminded, truth-challenged persons
choose to employ.
Dick Farrel
WDJA 1420 AM
West Palm Beach

Inspector
General’s Final
Hurdle To Cross
On May 17, the Palm Beach
County commissioners are scheduled to approve the final draft for
the 38 municipalities to join Palm
Beach County in setting up an inspector general for them. The last
hurdle is who will pay to fund the
inspector general’s $3.5 million
budget?
The original idea, the one Mi-

ami-Dade uses and the one Palm
Beach County originally approved, was for the vendor/contractors to bear the brunt of the
cost by paying a small fee of 25
cents for ever $100 spent on all
contracts with the county government.
However, the Palm Beach
County commissioners later
changed the method of payment
from the vendor/contractors to the
taxpayers. The taxpayers will now
be funding the program, and the
vendors/contractors will be paying nothing.
The rationale given was that it
is too complicated, and it would
cost $500,000 to reprogram the
county’s computerized billing system.
As a result, the City of West
Palm Beach’s share of the projected annual budget will be
$335,000, and Wellington’s share
will be $76,000.

The cities are up in arms. Some
are complaining that they do not
have enough money to fund their
police and firemen, let alone the
inspector general. But it does not
have to be that way. Let’s say it
does cost $500,000 to reprogram
the computerized billing system.
That is a one-time expense. West
Palm Beach alone over 10 years
will pay out $3,350,000. They
would save most of that money if
the vendors/contractors go back to
paying 25 cents for every $100
spent on contracts.
It is ridiculous to change from
the Miami-Dade program that has
worked for 13 years, and has
saved them many millions. Let’s
go back to the original concept and
help save Palm Beach County, and
the 38 municipalities, millions of
dollars in fraud, waste and mismanagement.
Morley Alperstein
Wellington

SEND IN YOUR LETTERS
The Town-Crier welcomes letters to the editor. Please
keep letters brief (300 words). Submit letters, with
contact name, address, and telephone number
(anonymous letters will not be published), to The
Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31,
Wellington, FL 33414; fax them to (561) 793-6090;
or you can e-mail letters@goTownCrier.com.

NEWS

RPB Council Hears Final Report From Water Plant Task Force
By Eric Woodard
Town-Crier Staff Report
The Royal Palm Beach Village
Council voted unanimously last
week to accept the report by its
Wastewater Treatment Plant Task
Force regarding a proposed land
use designation for the 151-acre
site northwest of the intersection
of Crestwood and Royal Palm
Beach boulevards.
However, at the May 5 meeting, the council deferred further
action on the site.
The task force concluded that it

would recommend 55 percent of
the land be used for single-family
residential homes, which would
add roughly 200 new houses. Additionally, 25 percent would be
allotted for recreational purposes,
10 percent for commercial purposes and 10 percent for industrial
uses, with some of those acres
being specifically designated for
RV and boat storage.
Residents who attended task
force meetings offered differing
opinions as to certain land uses,
such as commercial and industri-

al, as well as the percentages allocated to them.
Mayor Matty Mattioli said he
thought the presentation was suitable but that the time was wrong
for anything to go forward.
“I’ve heard this story for the last
year, and it hasn’t changed,”
Mattioli said. “Those who want
commercial, those who don’t want
commercial, those who want industrial, those who don’t want industrial ... I want to put it on the
shelf for a year, and we’ll dust it
off a year from now. If the econo-

my improves, we will further consider your recommendations.”
Other major concerns from attendees included whether the specific allotments of the plan would
actually be carried out, the future
safety of schoolchildren crossing
multiple lanes of traffic, and
whether commercial and industrial space would negatively affect
neighboring residential areas.
Task Force Member Joseph
Boyle had been chosen by the
group to present the findings. He
gave a 35-minute presentation,

explaining the designations and
the panel’s rationale for them.
According to Boyle’s presentation, the land use “should be compatible with, though not necessarily exactly the same as, the current neighborhood, should reasonably maintain the current neighborhood character, and should not
negatively affect the already volatile property values.”
During council discussion of
Boyle’s presentation, Councilman
Fred Pinto addressed the issue of
land use compatibility.

“It was clear to me after hearing from the citizens that we need
to focus on compatibility,” Pinto
said, “putting something that’s
going to be compatible to the surroundings, and to me that does not
spell industrial and commercial.”
Boyle listed seven of the considerations by the task force: generation of revenue, environmental impact of the land use, capacity of local schools to accommodate the land use, whether the location of the site favors one land
See TASK FORCE, page 22

Vote Referendum’s Cost Concerns Groves District Supervisors
By Lauren Miró
Town-Crier Staff Report
Unanticipated expenses caused
by a referendum that could change
the election procedures at the
Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District worried several supervisors at a meeting Monday, May
9.
In March, the district received
a petition to have one or more of
the district’s supervisors chosen
by direct election, rather than the
proxy vote by acreage system currently used.
An estimated 20 percent of
Loxahatchee Groves’ qualified
electors signed the petition, which
was circulated by residents Marge Herzog and Don Williams. It
requested a referendum of qualified voters to change the voting
procedure used from one acre, one
vote, to one person, one vote.
The referendum election was
set for June 27, before the district’s
annual meeting of property owners.
Though none of the supervisors
disagreed with residents’ right to
hold a referendum and change the
voting procedure, they worried

about the cost of doing so, which
is estimated at $36,160.
LGWCD Administrator Clete
Saunier said that the costs would
cover up to $25,000 in legal fees,
$1,500 for a database consultant,
$8,650 for auditing services and
$1,000 for legal notices.
He noted, however, that the estimate includes costs only up to
and including the referendum.
Additional costs, such as urban
area mapping, would be incurred
if the referendum were approved.
Supervisor John Ryan expressed concern that the cost
would be even higher if the referendum passed, noting that the district may already have to issue a
special assessment to cover the
costs.
“It could mean a special assessment of $7 or more per acre,” he
said. “I think it’s only fair that all
residents know what is going on.
These are real costs. We don’t
have a rainy-day fund for these
items.”
Ryan said that the district should
look toward drafting a notice for
a one-time assessment increase to
help cover costs. He said he felt

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that residents should be informed
about the process and what it
means for the district.
“People won’t be happy with
this process,” Ryan said. “Those
who want change will feel that it’s
not giving them as much voting
authority as they’d like. And the
large landowners will worry about
the change in how decisions are
made.”
Supervisor Don Widing said
that he respects the concern about
everyone having a right to vote but
worried about the cost.
“Originally we thought it would
cost $10,000,” he said. “Now
we’re looking at $36,000. I don’t
feel responsible spending that kind
of money. I respect what is being
done, but we have to weigh the
costs.”
He also noted that the point
could be moot if the district decides to merge with the Town of
Loxahatchee Groves.
Supervisor Darlene Crawford
wondered whether there is anything the board could do to avoid
the costs. “Is there any way to
undo this once it has been set in
motion?” she asked.

LGWCD Attorney Mary Viator
said that the government is obligated to continue with the referendum once the petition has been
certified.
Crawford also wondered
whether the referendum had to be
held in tandem with the next regularly scheduled election and what
would happen if there was not an
election.
Viator said that timing would be
an issue and that she was unsure
what would happen if the district
doesn’t hold an election as scheduled.
“If we wait six months, we are
in a new fiscal year,” she said. “We
would not be able to collect special assessments until the following year.”
Widing suggested deferring the
decision to approve the referendum election policy and move
money from the reserve funds
until the next meeting on June 13,
so that the district’s legal staff
could find the answer and draft the
special assessment notice.
Saunier noted that a referendum
requires a 30-day notice. “If we
defer this decision,” he said, “then

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it’s a given that we can’t hold the
referendum at the June 27 meeting.”
Viator said that the board could
hold a special meeting on the matter. “We have to have a notice to
residents in the paper by May 28,”
she said.
But Supervisor Robert Snowball said he’d rather have the referendum done earlier.
LGWCD Chairman David DeMarois agreed. “If we delay the
inevitable, we’re going to pay
more money for it,” he said. “People will vote one way or the other.”
But Widing wanted to be sure
that there was enough time for residents to have all of the information. Snowball suggested sending
out a letter detailing the costs of
the election.
“That way they’re informed
when they come in and vote,” he
said.
During public comment, Herzog told the board that by law they
have to hold the referendum on the
same day as the annual meeting
on June 27. “That meeting was
scheduled a year ago,” she said.

“I don’t see how you can get
around it. You’re obligated by
your charter to have it.”
Herzog also wondered what
provisions would be made for absentee voters, or voters who could
not attend the meeting.
Viator said that voting would be
open from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and
qualified voters could submit ballots until the start of the annual
meeting. Proxy or absentee votes,
however, weren’t required under
the law, she said.
DeMarois made a motion to
approve the election process
with the addendum that a letter
be sent to residents relaying the
cost of the referendum along
with a possible assessment increase. The measure passed 4-1,
with Widing opposed.
A second motion was made to
approve the qualified electorate
referendum election procedures. It
also passed 4-1, with Widing opposed.
A third vote to approve the
transfer of $36,150 from the reserve funds to the general budget
passed 3-2, with both Widing and
Crawford opposed.

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The Town-Crier

WWW. GOTOWNCRIER. COM

Ma y 13 - May 19, 2011

Page 5

NEWS

PALMS WEST CHAMBER HONORS LOCAL TEACHERS AT ANNUAL MIXER PARTY
The Palms West Chamber of Commerce held its 14th annual Teacher Appreciation Social on Thursday, May 5 center court at the
original Wellington Mall. There was food, raffles, goodie bags, karaoke, a DJ and dancing, as well as vendor booths with representatives from Costco, the Gold Coast Credit Union and McClellan Chiropractic.
PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER

PBCHS AWARDED PIZZA FOR TAKING PART IN ‘CELL PHONES FOR SOLDIERS’
As a prize for winning second place in the “Cell Phones for Soldiers” program, Palm Beach Central High School students were
treated to free pizza May 4 and 5. Little Caesar’s Pizza provided 375 pizzas and 2,850 bottles of water. More than 500 cell phones
were collected through the program. They will be refurbished and sold, with the money being used to buy calling cards so soldiers
can call home.
PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER

Con Artists Target
Elderly Man In
Royal Palm Beach
By Lauren Miró
Town-Crier Staff Report
MAY 10 — A 78-year-old man
called the Palm Beach County
Sheriff’s Office substation in Royal Palm Beach on Tuesday afternoon regarding a theft. According
to a PBSO report, the victim was
sitting on a bench outside the Publix store in the Crossroads shopping plaza at approximately 11:30
a.m. when he was approached by
two Hispanic males who said they
needed help contacting immigration. According to the report, one
male identified only as “Manuel”
said he was an illegal immigrant
and had a winning lottery ticket
for $800,000 that he was unable
to cash. The other suspect, identified as “Evan,” said he offered to
cash the lottery ticket, but Manuel wanted a $50,000 cash security deposit. According to the report, the men drove to the Bank
of America on Okeechobee Blvd.,
and Evan returned with a pouch
he said contained $30,000 cash.
However, Manuel said he wanted
$50,000 and Evan asked the victim if he had $20,000 to make up
the difference. According to the
report, the victim said that he had
$2,600 in cash as well as some
jewelry at his home that he could
give them as a security deposit.
According to the report, the victim gave the men $2,600 cash,
three gold rings, a 24” gold necklace valued at approximately
$300, and a gold bracelet valued
at approximately $100. According
to the report, Manuel then began
complaining of stomach pains, so
Evan drove the victim and Manuel to the CVS Pharmacy on Royal Palm Beach Blvd., and the victim was given $5 and asked to run
in for some medication. According to the report, when the victim
returned, the suspects were gone.
The victim said he had no contact
information for the men and he
could not provide a make or model
for the car. According to the report, the deputy spoke with the
branch manager at the Bank of
America, who said that no
$30,000 cash transaction had occurred.
•••
MAY 5 — A deputy from the
PBSO substation in Wellington
responded to a home in Pinewood
East last Thursday in reference to
stolen auto parts. According to a
PBSO report, the victim’s 2008
Cadillac Escalade was parked in
the driveway sometime between
10:30 p.m. last Wednesday and
5:30 a.m. the following morning
when someone stole the vehicles
rims and tires. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of
the report.
MAY 6 — A deputy from the
PBSO substation in Royal Palm
Beach was dispatched to the Super Target store on Okeechobee
Blvd. last Friday afternoon regarding a delayed theft. According to
a PBSO report, at approximately
9:58 p.m. last Thursday, the victim left the store with her children
and left her wallet containing her
credit cards, driver’s license and
$302 cash inside the store, but
didn’t notice it missing until she
returned home. The victim said
that by the time she realized her
wallet was missing, the store had
closed. She called the store at

12:30 p.m. the following day and
spoke with a loss prevention officer, who said her purse had been
turned in by an unknown white
male who entered from the parking lot and said he had found the
purse outside the store. According
to the report, the victim’s missing
items were recovered except for
the $302 cash. Video surveillance
shows the victim walking out of
the store with her child, looking
at her cell phone, with nothing else
in her hand. The man who turned
in the purse is not believed to be
involved in the theft.
MAY 9 — A resident of Greenview Shores called the PBSO substation in Wellington on Monday
night to report a vehicle burglary.
According to a PBSO report, the
victim’s 2004 Ford F-250 was
parked on the road in front of the
house. At sometime between 6:30
and 10 p.m., someone entered the
unlocked vehicle and stole a black
suitcase containing miscellaneous
clothing items and a black book
bag. The deputy canvassed the
area but found nothing suspicious.
There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.
MAY 10 — A juvenile suspect
was arrested Tuesday on drug
charges following a traffic stop
near the intersection of Royal
Palm Beach Blvd. and Sandpiper
Ave. According to a PBSO report,
a deputy from the Royal Palm
Beach substation pulled over a silver Jaguar that matched the description of a vehicle in another
case. The deputy made contact
with the driver and the juvenile
suspect, and noticed the smell of
marijuana coming from the vehicle. According to the report, a
search of the vehicle found a marijuana cigarette with between two
and four grams of marijuana in a
pack of cigarettes, as well as a
glass pipe used for smoking. Both
the driver and the juvenile suspect
denied that the marijuana was
theirs, however the juvenile suspect was arrested and taken to the
Juvenile Assessment Center.
MAY 11 — An Eastwood resident called the PBSO substation
in Wellington on Wednesday
morning to report a vandalism incident. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 7:27 a.m.,
the victim was informed by his
neighbor that someone had spraypainted several obscenities on his
garage door, sidewalk and mail
box. The victim could not think
of anyone who would have done
this. The graffiti unit was notified.
Pictures were taken and entered
as evidence.
MAY 11 — A man was arrested for drug possession early
Wednesday morning following a
traffic stop in Wellington. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 12:42 a.m. a deputy from
the Wellington substation responded to South Shore Blvd. to
provide backup for the traffic stop.
While the first deputy on the scene
was doing a background check on
the driver, 26-year-old Sean
Finnerty of Wellington, the other
deputy conducted an inventory of
the vehicle and noticed a strong
smell of marijuana. According to
the report, the deputy searched a
backpack on the passenger seat
and discovered a clear plastic bag
containing marijuana.

Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County
is asking for the public’s help in finding
these wanted fugitives:
• Hector Rivera, a.k.a. Carlos Berra and
Dominguez Mendez, is a white male, 5’8”
tall and weighing 185 lbs., with black hair
and brown eyes. His date of bir th is 05/
01/68. Rivera is wanted for felony attempted first-degree murder and misdemeanor violation of probation on a charge
of domestic batt ery. His last known address w as Lancaster Drive in Greenacres.
Riv era is wanted as of 05/12/11.
• Joshua Walsh is a white male, 5’7”
tall and w eighing 160 lbs., with brown hair
and br own eyes. He has a tattoo on his
right arm and a scar on his abdomen.
His date of birth is 06/22/87. Walsh is
wanted for failure to appear on a charge
of burglary of an occupied dwelling with
assault/batt ery, burglary of a dwelling
(two counts) and burglar y with battery.
His occupation is construction. His last
known address was 58th Place Nor th in
The Acreage. Walsh is wanted as of 05/
12/11.
Remain anonymous and you may be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward. Call
Crime St oppers at (800) 458-TIPS (8477)
or visit www.crimestopperspbc.com.

Hector Rivera

Joshua Walsh

THE INFORMATION FOR THIS BOX IS PROVIDED BY
CRIME STOPPERS OF PALM BEACH COUNTY. CRIMESTOPPERS
IS WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT SHOWN HERE.

The Town-Crier

WWW. GOTOWNCRIER. COM

Ma y 13 - May 19, 2011

Page 7

NEWS

Abruzzo: Session Brings Some Success, Several Disappointments
By Chris Felker
Town-Crier Staff Report
State Rep. Joe Abruzzo (D-District 85) scored some successes in
the 2011 legislative session, but
overall, he was disappointed with
much of the legislation that passed
in Tallahassee, including the budget.
In an interview this week,
Abruzzo pointed to three bills he
had sponsored that are now on
Gov. Rick Scott’s desk: House Bill
75, which would reduce penalties
for “sexting” by minors; a measure to establish the statewide Silver Alert system in Florida law, on
which he teamed up with State
Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto (R-District 27); and the Post Disaster
Relief Assistance Act, which
would “protect businesses and
private citizens who freely provide
housing to first responders during
a natural disaster or state of emergency from undue litigation.”
“Sexting” refers to the act of
sending explicit photos of oneself
via mobile device, which has been
an issue primarily among teenagers. Currently, those convicted of
such indiscretions face harsh penalties and can be treated as sex
offenders.
The bill that passed the legislature would make a first offense
non-criminal, a second offense a

misdemeanor and
downturn. It’s just
only the third offense
completely wrong,
a felony. Asked
and I can’t support
whether Gov. Scott
it.”
would sign the bill,
Abruzzo noted
Abruzzo said, “I sure
that more than $1
hope so. The fact that
billion in cuts will
it did pass unaniaffect public educamously in both
tion; hospitals and
chambers should
nursing homes will
send a clear indicabe out about $700
tion to the governor
million in Medicaid
that this is important
payments. A change
and we are unified in
in the transportation
standing behind this State Rep. Joe A bruzzo trust fund will mean
legislation.”
$150 million less for
As for the disappointments, highway projects, which AbruzAbruzzo started out by harshly zo said will cost the economy
criticizing portions of the state thousands of jobs.
budget. “I voted against the bud“That’s why I supported meaget,” he said, noting that one pro- sures to bring online poker into
vision, which requires some pub- destination resorts,” he said,
lic employees to contribute toward “which would have brought biltheir state pensions for the first lions of dollars into the State of
time, “was really a 3 percent in- Florida, so we didn’t have to make
come tax on teachers, police of- these kinds of cuts to education
ficers, firefighters and other pub- and healthcare.”
lic-sector workers.”
But the budget does contain
He also pointed out that the bud- several bright spots, he said.
get raises tuition by 8 percent at Abruzzo backed the corporate inevery state university and college come tax cut that will save an exand allows universities to increase tra $1,100 a year on average for
tuition by up to 15 percent. 15,000 small businesses in Flori“They’ve been increasing tuition da. “I believe this will be the first
every year since I was elected,” step in a multi-year effort and will
he said. “They keep going down really benefit our small and medithis route during an economic um-sized businesses,” he said.

Abruzzo noted that there is $7.3
million in the budget for a Palm
Beach State College western communities campus that will allow
them to start construction, and
possibly have the first phase of a
campus open within two years.
Before his re-election last November, Abruzzo listed stopping
Florida’s reputation as the nation’s
“pill mill” capital as a top priority.
“Last year I sponsored pill mill
legislation that passed into law,
and this year we passed another
pill mill bill. This is going to be
an issue that we run legislation on,
in my opinion, every single year,
because every single year their
tactics are going to change,” he
said. “Those whose intent is to
break the law will always try to
find some gray area in our statutes, and we need to always come
back and work on the language to
make sure we’re staying ahead of
those who try to capitalize on the
illegal prescription trade.”
Another group of people high
on his priority list were those suffering from traumatic brain injuries. “We had some tremendous
success, not as far as legislation,
but in the budget, we were able to
secure $6.8 million for long-term
in-home service,” he said. “That
program had a large waiting list,
so this funding now will help clear

many individuals and families off
that list.”
Abruzzo also sought to stiffen
state physical education requirements and filed a bill to do so this
year. “Unfortunately, it did not
pass,” he said. “This was something that the legislature did not
want to take up this session, but I
will be bringing it back.”
He said he also worked to protect homeowners through insurance and property-tax measures,
and noted that although a bill
passed that would allow the staterun windstorm insurer, Citizens
Insurance, to raise rates by 10 percent a year, “I’m proud to state that
I did not support any of the insurance bills that would raise rates for
consumers.”
About his Post Disaster Relief
Assistance Act, Abruzzo said: “It
is imperative that we look after not
only the first responders in times
of distress, but those who support
them in doing their job effectively.”
The act’s provisions would kick
in after hurricanes and disasters
such as last year’s BP oil spill in
the Gulf of Mexico. In that instance, Abruzzo said, “we were in
a situation where we had emergency personnel from all around the
state and from out of state coming to the area to assist and they

didn’t have anywhere to stay, so
this will help open up hotels and
people’s homes by giving them the
relief that they’re protected as
well.”
Abruzzo noted that “there were
a lot of bad bills that came through
this session.” He specifically noted his opposition to a bill that limits tenure for public school teachers and a series of measures to restrict abortion rights.
He also objects to “a terrible
election bill, which is truly going
to make it harder to vote, especially for young people in colleges
and universities.”
In summery, Abruzzo said, “I
had some very good successes, in
being able to pass three pieces of
legislation. But only 285 bills
passed out of over 2,000 filed, the
lowest number of bills passed in
modern times.”
During the hiatus before the
next session, Abruzzo said he
plans to focus his attention on the
upcoming redistricting process.
“I was appointed to one of the
redistricting committees in the
House, and we’re going to be having dozens of meetings all
throughout the state this summer,”
he said. “So I will be digging in
and working hard and making sure
we have fair districts drawn in the
State of Florida.”

Relay For Life Returns To Wellington Village Park This Weekend
By Jackson Wolek
Town-Crier Staff Report
The American Cancer Society’s
Relay for Life will return to Wellington this weekend. The overnight event will take place Saturday and Sunday, May 14-15, at
Village Park on Pierson Road.
The cancer-fighting event will
start at 2 p.m. Saturday and last
18 hours, as teams of people help
to raise money by donating all proceeds toward cancer support programs and research.
Teams of 10 to 15 people have
formed to participate in the event,
with the cost of entry per team at
a $100 minimum donation. While
at the relay, team members take
turns walking around a track nonstop for the 18 hours. Organizers
are expecting about 17 teams in
all, formed by participating
groups, families, friends, businesses and schools.
The relay will start with an
opening ceremony that will recognize people who have survived
cancer. They will be announced on
stage and receive a purple T-shirt

to wear so that they can be recognized throughout the event.
Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen, Roxanne Stein of WPTVNews Channel 5 and Deena
Lang from 97.9 WRMF will be
in attendance for the ceremony
as well.
Afterward, the survivors will
start the first lap around the track
while spectators cheer them on.
“They are the whole reason why
we are having the event, to show
them that we love and support
them, and they give courage and
hope to everyone else,” American
Cancer Society event coordinator
Teri Lane said.
After the survivors lap, their
caregivers will then walk another
lap with them called the caregivers lap before being treated to a
luncheon sponsored by Bonefish
Grill.
Events will then be taking place
throughout the rest of the day and
evening, featuring live bands and
DJs, dance performances, vendors
and a variety of fun things for children and families to enjoy.

Many of the activities and vendor booths will be run by the teams
themselves and brought in by
them, too. All the proceeds will
then be put toward helping fight
cancer.
“They are each having an onsite fundraiser, selling food,
drinks, different things for just a
dollar, $2 or $5 so the community
can support the American Cancer
Society by coming to the event,”
Lane said.
Some teams started to raise
money long before the event, such
as Karen Folino’s team, the Seminole Cancer Kickers, for example. Folino has raised $1,600 on
her own, and the team’s total
stands at $5,200.
“My dad had passed away from
kidney cancer in March of last
year, so I wanted to be able to fight
back and hopefully participate to
find a cure,” Folino explained. “I
have two children, and I know
how much of an impact it was on
them and the whole family, so I
don’t want anyone else to have to
go through that.”

At 9 p.m., the Luminaria ceremony will begin. This is when all
the lights will be turned off, and
candles will be lit inside bags filled
with sand, each representing
someone who has been touched
by cancer, and especially those
who have lost their battles with the
disease.
Each designed in their own special way, the bags, which will
number around 200 to 300 in all,
will surround the track as participants take one lap around in silence in order to remember those
who have been lost. A tribute video showing pictures of those
touched by cancer will also be
played during the ceremony,
which will last until around 9:45
p.m.
Event chairman Bill Smith is
hoping to raise $35,000 from
this year’s event, but he stressed
that the purpose is not only to
help raise money but also to educate the general public about
cancer.
“In between bands and performances, our education chair will

The Seminole Cancer Kickers are among the teams
raising money at this weekend’s Relay for Life.
PHOTO COURTESY KAREN FOLINO

come up on stage and do a oneminute PSA in a manner that will
be somewhat educational, but not
so people will zone out or be bored
by it,” Smith said.
The week following the Wellington relay, Royal Palm Beach
will also be featuring the event on
Saturday and Sunday, May 21-22,

at Crestwood Middle School.
Both events are free for the general public to enjoy, but donations
are appreciated.
For more information about the
Wellington Relay for Life, call
Smith at (561) 654-6644 or visit
www.relayforlife.org/wellington
fl.

Wellington Planning ‘Community Improvement Days’ In Guilford

Assistant Neighborhood Advocate Scott Campbell and Code
Com pliance Officer Debra Mitchell assist in power washing
during a previous community improvement day event.

Rebuild

$5.1 Million
Project

continued from page 1
the facility, the building must undergo either a renovation or a
complete rebuilding.
“We have some repairs, renovations and/or replacement of the
facility to complete in order for us
to be able to continue to use the
facility as intended,” he said.
Barnes noted that, at minimum,
$450,000 would have to be spent
to weatherproof the community
center if the council does not
choose to rebuild it. “That work
has to be performed,” he said, “regardless of any other options, unless you choose to rebuild.”
The council could choose to
simply weatherproof the building,
or to make façade and interior
improvements as well.
Façade improvements would
include renovations to match the
exterior of other buildings in the
Town Center complex, impact
doors and windows, and access to
the building at the ground floor,
among other things, all to the tune
of $1 million.
“This would address the [access] issue at the front of the facility,” Barnes said.

Interior renovations would include modifications to both the
first and second floors, including
rooms and room sizes, relocation
of some non-load-bearing walls,
along with updated finishes, at a
cost of $1.7 million.
“It would be a renovation of the
facility to handle more appropriately the programs that we currently run out of there,” Barnes said,
“and other programs that we currently can’t accommodate due to
the layout of the facility.”
If the council chose to spend the
$3.1 million to waterproof and
renovate the building entirely, village staff estimated that Wellington would get another 10 years of
useful life from the building.
Spending an additional $2 million to completely rebuild the facility, however, would net Wellington a community center with
50 years of usable life.
“The new facility construction
would have the lowest cost when
considering the life cycle of the
intended renovation,” Barnes said.
According to the staff report,
the new facility will be two stories and 20,000 square feet with
first-floor access. It will have
space for youth, adult and senior
programming, as well as a separate tennis facility. It will also have
adequate space for any new uses,

By Jackson Wolek
Town-Crier Staff Report
To keep Wellington a beautiful
place in which to live, everyone
must do their part to keep their
neighborhoods clean. In that spirit, many Wellington residents will
be participating in a community
improvement day Saturday, May
14 in the Guilford neighborhood
on Guilford Way, and Saturday,
May 21 in the same neighborhood
on Lantern Tree Lane.
Wellington’s utility and Safe
Neighborhoods staffers will be
scanning through the neighborhood all week, looking for unsightly areas that need work.
If a house is deemed to have a
problem, the homeowner might
be cited for a violation, but included will be a courtesy notice
letting the homeowner know
about the two community improvement days.
“The whole point is to both
build social capital within the

neighborhood and also clean up
the neighborhood,” coordinator
Scott Campbell said. “Ultimately,
we want our neighborhoods to be
pleasing places to live.”
Campbell said that much of
what is usually needed is pressure
cleaning of the driveways and
walls of homes. Roofs may need
pressure cleaning, too, but that
service will not be provided during the community improvement
days due to liability issues.
Campbell and Neighborhood
Advocate Meredith Tuckwood
will be renting out pressure cleaners for people to use and will be
going door to door throughout the
week asking people about volunteering to help out in any way they
can.
Last month, the pair went into
the Westhampton neighborhood,
where they focused on planting
and keeping the lawns looking
nice, as well as pressure cleaning,
which has its advantages in the

sense that it can be done rather
quickly.
The cleaning effort will last
from 9 a.m. until noon each day,
and lunch will be provided to
those who participate. Other than
the importance of keeping the
neighborhood clean, it also helps
foster a sense of community and
allows neighbors to get to know
each other and become friendly.
Guilford is a great example of
the importance of neighbors working together, because it is a multifamily community.
“It gets to the point where you
see the two neighbors obviously
are not talking because one half
of the roof will be clean or one
half of the driveway will be clean,
and the other half will be dirty,”
Campbell said. “Because multifamily housing is such a condensed area, it is necessary to really have a strong relationship
with your neighbor.”
In the end, the cleanup could

help stop crime as well due to
neighbors finding out more about
each other and forming stronger
bonds. A close-knit, well-maintained community is often one
with better abilities to deter the
criminal element. “It’s something
that the residents strongly desire,
and we want more people to get
active because we want every
neighborhood to have a crime
watch and to have block parties
and to be more neighborly,”
Campbell explained.
But these neighborhood cleanup efforts depend upon support
from the residents of the neighborhood itself. If residents are willing to volunteer, and then take that
civic ethic and incorporate it into
their everyday lives, then the
three-hour community improvement day can have a huge impact
for years to come.
For more information, or to volunteer, call the Safe Neighborhoods office at (561) 791-4796.

and be comparable to the new
municipal building.
Several council members wondered about financing for the new
building.
Village Manager Paul Schofield
said that money for the project
would come from existing capital
improvement funds. “Those funds
exist today,” he said. “They are
principally impact fees; they are
park fees. The money is there.”
Schofield said that the project
would not result in an increase to
the tax rate.
Vice Mayor Matt Willhite asked
what the time frame for construction would be.
Barnes said the project could be
completed in about one year from
the start of construction if the
council chose to rebuild. A renovation would take about six to
eight months.
Willhite asked whether the separate tennis facility could be built
before demolition of the community center so that the program
could continue to operate, which
Barnes said is an idea that would
have to be studied.
Several council members were
also concerned about the design
criteria for the building, noting
difficulties with the design of the
nearby municipal complex.
“I really want us to get the de-

sign we want,” Councilwoman
Anne Gerwig said. “I want to
make sure it’s what we want.”
Barnes said a more detailed design criteria package would be
drafted before the project goes out
to bid. “Then we’ll know what
we’re getting,” he said. “Some of
the decisions are already made.
We know it’s going to have a
white roof.”
Council members were strongly in favor of rebuilding the community center rather than renovating it.
Gerwig said that renovating it
would not bring an increased
lifespan, nor the energy savings
that more modern designs provide. “There’s some issues we
won’t be able to fix, like ceiling
heights,” she said. “So while it
may look like we save $2 million,
you would lose 40 years and the
savings we’d see.”
Councilman Howard Coates
agreed. “Doing nothing is really
not an option,” he said. “If we look
at renovation, it will give us a
building at $3.1 million that we
have for 10 years. For an extra $2
million we get … five times what
we’d be getting if we just paid for
repairs.”
The council voted unanimously to move forward with rebuilding the facility.

In other business, council members unanimously gave preliminary approval to an ordinance that
would allow commercial businesses near residential areas to
come before the council and request extended hours of operation.
Director of Growth Management Bob Basehart explained that
currently, commercial space near
residential areas is limited to hours
of operation between 6 a.m. and
11 p.m.; however, he added that
some businesses, such as the
planned Dunkin’ Donuts in the
Wellington Plaza, could require
extended hours.
“If you’re within 300 feet of a
residential property, your hours

are limited [to] between 6 a.m. and
11 p.m.,” Basehart explained.
“However, if you’re more than
300 feet away from a residential
property you have no restrictions.
You can be open 24/7.”
He said that the change would
allow a business owner to approach the council to request extended hours, but any extension
would be subject to council approval.
Council members expressed
concern about where the 300-foot
limit extended, and whether it included outdoor areas. Basehart
said it would start from the point
of the activity closest to the residential area, including patios.

The Wellington Community Center building is over 30 years old.

Page 8

Ma y 13 - May 19, 2011

Kait Parker To Speak
At May 18 Wellington
Chamber Luncheon
The Wellington Chamber of
Commerce has announced that
local celebrity and meteorologist
Kait Parker of WPTV News
Channel 5 will be the guest speaker at its next luncheon on Wednesday, May 18 at the Wanderers
Club at Wellington. Brickman will
be the presenting sponsor.
Parker is the meteorologist for
“Today on 5” on Saturdays and
fills multiple other roles within the
weather department during the
week. She joined the News Channel 5 team in December 2010.
Parker came to News Channel 5
from Montgomery, Ala., where
she was the weekday morning meteorologist at CBS af filiate
WAKA. While in Montgomery,
Parker also coordinated all the station’s community events benefiting local charities and non-profits.
While studying at the University of Missouri, Parker had the
opportunity to begin her on-air
work as a meteorologist for the
local NBC affiliate. She also
taught a class to freshmen students
about storm chasing for two years
and was a member of both the
Storm Chase Team and Meteorology Club treasurer. Parker also interned for WFAA in Dallas, Texas where she gained a great deal
of knowledge and fine-tuned her
on-air work.
The luncheon is expected to sell

Kait Parker
out, so get your reservations in
early. The cost to attend is $20 for
chamber members with RSVP,
$25 for members with no RSVP
and $30 for the general public.
Registration will take place at
11:30 a.m., and the luncheon begins promptly at noon.
Tickets can be purchased by
calling the chamber or online at
www.wellingtonchamber.com on
the “Pay for Tickets Here” tab.
For further information on attending on this or any future
Wellington Chamber of Commerce event, or general information on the chamber, call (561)
792-6525.

The Town-Crier

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NEWS BRIEFS
Justin Bartlett
Memorial Golf
Tourney May 14
The second annual Justin Bartlett Foundation Memorial Golf
Tournament will take place Saturday, May 14 at the Links at
Madison Green in Royal Palm
Beach. The tournament is “dedicated to helping people, families
and charities throughout our local
community in honor of Justin Gregory Bartlett.”
Don’t miss the opportunity to
win the car that Al Packer Ford
has agreed to offer for as a hole in
one prize. Attendees will also be
able to meet professional long
driver Bobby Bradley, who will be
providing help with 300-plus-yard
drives. If you’re not a golfer, come
out for the fun and cheer on your
friends. A dinner will also be available starting at 6 p.m.
Last year’s event featured more
than 120 golfers and helped raise
over $8,000 for A Second Chance
Puppies & Kittens Rescue.
Bring a golf team ($380/team)
or sign up as an individual ($100/
golfer), or just come for the festivities. Registration will take
place at 10:30 a.m., followed by
the putting contest at 11:30 a.m.
and the tournament with a 1 p.m.
shotgun start. Dinner will take
place at 6 p.m.; dinner tickets are
available for $30. Sponsorships
are also available starting at $100.
Donations of any amount are
greatly appreciated.
The Links at Madison Green is
located at 2001 Crestwood Blvd.
N. in Royal Palm Beach. For more
information, call Todd Perez at

Graduation At
Education Place
Set For May 21
#1 Education Place of Wellington will hold its 2011 graduation
ceremony Saturday, May 21 at the
International Polo Club Palm
Beach in Wellington.
This year’s graduates are Alec
Ceravolo, Matt Ceravolo, Mariano Gracida, Beatrice Mack and
Brandyn Rojas. Following the ceremony, the school is hosting a
buffet dinner and pool party for
the graduates and their families,
and for the faculty, students and
parents of the #1 Education Place
community.
#1 Education Place, located in
the Wellington Plaza, serves students in grades one through 12. It
offers an accredited curriculum in
an alternative school environment,
and specializes in meeting the
needs of equestrian families.
For additional information
about the school, call (561) 7536563 or visit www.1education
place.com.

Palm Tran
Open Houses
Palm Tran, Palm Beach County’s public transportation system,
is currently updating its Transit
Development Plan (TDP) that will
guide planning, development and
operations for the next 10 years.

The TDP is important for securing Palm Tran’s funding and for
future changes to Palm Tran service.
Public involvement is a key
component in developing the
TDP. Therefore, Palm Tran will
host three open houses at the following county branch libraries:
• Wednesday, May 18 — Belle
Glade branch, 530 South Main
Street, Belle Glade. Accessible via
Palm Tran Route 47.
• Thursday, May 19 — Lantana
Road branch, 4020 Lantana Road,
Lake Worth. Accessible via Palm
Tran Routes 63 and 71.
• Tuesday, May 31 — Jupiter
branch, 705 Military Trail, Jupiter. Accessible via Palm Tran
Route 10.
Open houses will start at 6 p.m.
and run until approximately 8 p.m.
at all three locations. Riders of the
transit system are encouraged to
attend and offer feedback and suggestions for the Transit Development Plan. For more information,
visit www.palmtrantdp.com.

May 17 Event For
Grandparents
Raising Their
Grandchildren
The University of Florida/Palm
Beach County Cooperative Extension is hosting a resource fair for
grandparents who are raising their
grandchildren. The fair will be
held Tuesday, May 17 from 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Clayton E.
Hutcheson Agricultural Center,
559 N. Military Trail, West Palm
Beach.
There are a variety of situations

requiring grandparents to raise
their grandchildren. Parenting the
second time around is unavoidable
for many grandparents, and their
jobs are imperative in providing
strong, nurturing environments for
grandchildren.
The event is free to all grandparents who are looking for necessary resources for themselves
and their grandchildren. For more
information, call (561) 233-1742.

Free Yoga For
Members Of
The Military
Moksha Yoga Studio in Wellington is offering free yoga class
for veterans and military personnel every Monday from 3 to 4 p.m.
Ralph Iovino, a Marine Corps
combat-wounded Vietnam War
veteran, has created a specialized
yoga flow to help soldiers control
their emotions and reactions and
help reintegrate into civilian life.
The effects of an overseas deployment can often last for years. Soldiers often have unwelcome
thoughts, emotions and memories.
These yoga techniques can be
used to recall whole, healthy and
intact memories that have not been
touched by trauma.
The free yoga class focuses on
learning skills proven to help you
connect to the present, leaving
anxiety behind while learning to
feel safe and in control. All military personnel are welcome.
Moksha Yoga Studio is located
at 3340 Fairlane Farms Road,
Suite 5 in Wellington. For more
info., call (561) 427-1767 or visit
www.mokshayogastudio.com.

The Town-Crier

WWW. GOTOWNCRIER. COM

Ma y 13 - May 19, 2011

Page 9

NEWS

WELLINGTON CHAMBER CELEBRATES PERFECT SMILE’S NINTH ANNIVERSARY

Perfect Smile Dentistry in Wellington celebrated its ninth anniversar y Thursda y, May 5 by hosting a Wellington Chamber of Commerce mixer. Guests enjoyed food and drink, as well as raffle prizes including a free session of teeth whitening. For more info., or to
schedule an appointment, call (561) 204-4494 or visit www.perfectsmiledentistry.com.
PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER

South Florida Science Museum Unveils Two New Exhibits May 21
Hang out at the South Florida
Science Museum and your skin
might not be the only thing crawling from two new exhibits, both
opening May 21. “Attack of the
Bloodsuckers” and “Tree Houses”
are sure to entertain, educate and
excite curiosity through the hands-

One of the structures in
the exhibit “Tree Houses.”

on, interactive exhibits. The exhibits run through Sept. 11.
“Attack of the Bloodsuckers”
will explore the science of what’s
biting you. The kid-friendly exhibition examines the biological
wonders of mosquitoes, fleas,
ticks, leeches and other creatures
that eat blood. Stinky feet can
make you more attractive — to a
hungry mosquito, that is. Learn
why bloodsuckers are important
to the ecosystem and how to keep
them out of your system. Visitors
can look a real leech in the mouth,
receive a big hug from a giant inflatable tick, get itchy and knotty
with the life-size game of “Twitcher” (a buggy variation on the game
Twister) or learn helpful hints for
avoiding these sometimes annoying creatures.
“Both of these brand-new ex-

hibits will immerse our visitors in
the facts and foibles of our ecosystem and the natural world,”
said Lew Crampton, chief executive officer of the South Florida
Science Museum. “They offer lots
of fun and edutainment for all with
a strong emphasis on hands-on fun
and games. A perfect spring and
summer excursion for the family
that takes place in air-conditioned
comfort.”
Spend time hanging out in the
trees while exploring firsthand
who lives high up in the branches
through stereoscopic viewfinders,
tracking clues, natural artifacts and
sound.
The lively setting of the exhibit
“Tree Houses” will have visitors
roaming from tree to tree to house
as they discover the many habitats that trees provide for animals

large and small — and people, too.
Guests can look for signs of
animal tree dwellers as they walk
through an indoor tree house and
across a wobbly connecting
bridge, play a computerized forest game where they can harvest
trees without harming wildlife,
watch how a forest becomes a
house, view the tree houses people have built around the world
and even design and build their
own, listen for animals inside the
tree house and try to guess their
sounds on an “animal dance
floor,” or wander through a “kitchen” to discover not-so-obvious
tree connections in our own houses.
For more information about the
South Florida Science Museum,
call (561) 832-1988 or visit
www.sfsm.org.

A giant tick is part of the exhibit “Attack of the Bloodsuck ers. ”

Page 10

May 13 - May 19, 2011

WWW. GOTOWNCRIER. COM

The Town-Crier

NEWS

YOUNGSTERS AT SCOTT’S PLACE GREET SPECIAL VISITORS FROM THE P.B. ZOO

Story Time at Scott’s Place Playground featured animals from the Palm Beach Zoo on Saturday, May 7. Dozens of youngsters were
entertained by animal-themed stories before getting up close and personal with guests from the zoo: a tortoise, a possum and an
American alligator. After a summer break, the Story Time program will return in September.
PHOTOS BY JOSHUA MANNING/TOWN-CRIER

Wellington Volunteer Coordinator Kim Henghold and her
daughter Cassidy with Story Time book reader Michelle Sohn.

Kids get to pe t Banjo, an American alligator.

Francine Ramaglia holds Georgie
Lamport as mom Tracey stands by.

RPB YOUNG AT HEART CLUB CELEBRATES CINCO DE MAYO AT CULTURAL CENTER
The Royal Palm Beach Young at Heart Club celebrated Cinco de Mayo on Friday, May 6 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Cent er.
After lunch, the mariachi band Voices America performed Mexican songs while members sang along and danced.
PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER

ThinkPINKkids held its annual 5k “Walk to Win the Battle Against Breast Cancer” on Friday, May 6 at Wellington High School.
Students were able to walk to raise funds, enjoy food and drink as well as live performances and raffle prizes. All proceeds go t o
Scripps Florida and Your Bosom Buddies II. F or more info., visit www.thinkpinkkids.com.
PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER

WELLINGTON SENIOR QUILTERS AIM TO BRING COMFORT TO DISABLED VETERANS
The Wellington Senior Quilters have been busy making “quilts of valor,” which they plan to giv e to local disabled veterans sometime
in the fall. The group is accepting donations of 100-percent cotton fabric preferably in red, white and blue colors, and cotton thread.
For more info., call (561) 596-7881.
PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER

SCHOOL MUSICIANS PERFORM IN JAZZ FESTIVAL AT WELLINGTON AMPHITHEATER
Palm Beach Central High School hosted its seventh annual Groovin’ Hard Jazz Festival on Saturday, May 7 at the Wellington Amphitheater. Hundreds gathered in the grass for a program that also included the Emerald Cove Middle School jazz ensemble. For two
hours, the student ensembles performed standards by Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich, Louis Armstrong and Tito Puente, along with
renditions by the Beatles.
PHOTOS BY ERIC WOODARD/TOWN-CRIER

Edwin Reyes plays trombone during
the last song of the evening, “Sunny Ray.”

PBC MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION HOSTS ITS ANNUAL BELL SOCIETY DINNER

The Mental Health Association of Palm Beach County held its annual Bell Society Dinner on April 13 at the Colony Hotel in Palm
Beach. Entertainment was provided by seven-time Grammy winners Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. Thr ough advocacy, education,
research and outreach, the MHA seeks to improve access to services and mental wellness. For more info., visit www.mhapbc.org.

SRHS Students Learn The Rules Of The Road During Traffic Safety Month
May is National Youth Traffic
Safety Month, and Seminole
Ridge High School students wore
white ribbons last week as a visible reminder to “help white out
teen crashes.” Teens ages 15 to 19
have the highest crash rate of any
age group in Florida. The following are statistics from the state’s
2009 traffic crash report: 772,910
teens are licensed to drive in Florida; 29,485 crashes involved teens
last year; 153 teens died in those
crashes; 19,292 teens were injured
in them; Florida’s teen drivers are
twice as likely to crash as their
parents, and three times as likely
to crash as their grandparents; and
teens represent five percent of
Florida’s driving population, but
they are involved in more than
nine percent of Florida’s vehicle
crashes.
• Chamber Choir Takes Atlanta Bronze — The SRHS chamber
choir received gold and a “Superior” rating at the Heritage Music
Festival in Atlanta, coming in third
overall among all competitors.
“Cedar Ridge from North Carolina and their army of 50 came in
first, and Huffman from Alabama
came in second,” Choral Director

Wes Rainer said. “We were small
in numbers, but mighty in
strength.”
• TV Production Wins State
Silver — Seminole Ridge TV production students had another successful showing, including a second-place finish at this year’s Florida Scholastic Press Association
state convention. More than 1,200
students from across the state attended the Orlando event, and
SRHS students competed in several carry-in and on-the-spot contests. The team of Danny Carrazana, Kaytee Hammesfahr, Tynesia Heath and Jake Weininger took
the silver in the video photojournalism competition, which allowed them a two-hour deadline
to shoot five minutes of unedited
footage on a particular topic. Their
footage was then judged based on
composition, video quality, sound
quality and creativity.
SRHS students also received an
honorable mention in the “Every
Student Has a Story” news feature
carry-in competition, judged by
acclaimed CBS News network
photojournalist Les Rose. Hawk
reporter Zuzanna Zatorska and
videographer Mike Roy submit-

ted a feature story on foreign exchange student Zviadi Esartia,
who shared growing up in the Republic of Georgia as Russian soldiers and tanks came through his
hometown.
The Hawks also competed in
cinema editing, news package,
commercial and news anchor
competitions, and attended journalism workshops taught by
broadcast professionals. “FSPA
competitions give students the
valuable experience of working
under tight deadlines, and the
challenge fuels their excitement
for learning journalism,” TV production program director Earle
Wright said.
• JROTC Performs for Elementary School — The Hawk
Battalion armed exhibition drill
and saber teams performed to military music in a demonstration of
precision moves, wowing the
crowd of over 100 at Acreage
Pines Elementary School’s 20th
anniversary festival April 30. The
saber team was: Cadet Lt. Col.
Robert Whippy; Cadet Capt. Devon Redmond; Cadet Sgt. Jimmy
Marchand; and cadet corporals
James Aspenwall, Alexandra Bon-

illa and James Bukowski. The
armed exhibition squad: Cadet
Capt. Jeremy Aponte; cadet first
lieutenants Jonathan Fernandez
and Timothy Ruback; Cadet Sgt.
First Class Jake Winthrop; and
cadet corporals Jonathan Pacheco and Joshua Pacheco.
• SECME Fundraiser — After Seminole Ridge’s graduation
ceremony Monday, May 23, the
school invites supporters to join
the SECME group for a meal at
Sweet Tomatoes on Palm Beach
Lakes Blvd. The all-you-can-eat
restaurant is only two miles from
the convention center, and no reservations are required. For under
$10, Sweet Tomatoes lets you
build your own delicious meal
from a 55-foot salad bar. Choose
from among fresh vegetables,
tossed salads, deli salads, soups,
pasta, muffins, focaccia and softserve ice cream. Guests are invited to arrive throughout the afternoon and evening, especially from
5 to 8 p.m.
• Industry Partners Honor Science Hawk — The South Florida
Industry Partners for Education
has recognized Seminole Ridge
biotechnology academy student

Ken Klammer and students from his driver
education class show their white ribbons.
Cindy Dosch as the county’s SECME Outstanding High School Student of the Year. Dosch, who will
attend the University of Florida in
the fall, ranks in the top five percent of this year’s senior class and
is a member of the National Science Honor Society.
“I like this club because it has
so much to offer,” Dosch said. “I
get to see science in action and

have the opportunity to truly comprehend it.”
The South Florida Industry
Partners for Education, made up
of county, industry and school district representatives, assists in the
support, development, training
and expansion of talented students
prepared to succeed in science,
technology, engineering and
mathematics.

NEW HORIZONS STUDENT Panther Run Students Celebrate Earth Day All Week
Since Earth Day, April 22, fell swamp, looking for animals to exHONORED AT CHARACTER onschool,
a day in which there was no amine and learn about as inhabitSusan Bryant, Panther ants of a wetland, found apple
Run Elementary School’s “Profes- snails and learned how important
COUNTS AWARDS
sor Green,” decided that Wednes- they are as the snail kites’ only

New Horizons Elementary School fifth-grade student Bailey
Maisano was honored at the annual School District of Palm Beach
County Character Counts Awards ceremony. Maisano was nominated by his teachers for always showing that he cares about
what he says and does. He is an example to other students of
someone who is kind, honest, humble, respectful and responsible. Pictured here is the Maisano family at the awards ceremony:
grandmother Sue Maisano, father Ron, Bailey, brother Brenan,
sister Breana and mother Shannon.

day, April 27 would be a good day
to celebrate.
Students at Panther Run decided to help the earth by riding or
walking to school that day. Approximately 150 students participated, which resulted in a lot fewer cars in the drop-off and pickup
lane, and a lot less energy spent
driving to and from school.
Panther Run’s second- and
third-graders also went on a field
trip to Grassy Waters Preserve on
Northlake Blvd. This was the
highlight of their weeklong Earth
Day celebration. It gave them a
true understanding what Earth
Day is about and why they need
to protect the planet. They went
there to learn about the importance
of protecting a local wetland habitat.
The students loved it. They
waded and used dip-nets in the

food. They found ghost shrimp,
crawdads/crayfish, tadpoles, dragonfly larvae and many other examples.
Men on an airboat were counting the snail kites and how many
nests were there. The hike along
the boardwalk brought helpful
Florida plants to their attention,
such as the wax myrtle, a tree
whose leaves can be used as a natural bug repellent. It made Earth
Day real for the second- and thirdgraders.
The Village of Wellington also
did its share to assist student in
helping the environment. Saplings
were delivered to the school so
that the students could take them
home and plant them.
Accompanying the little trees
were sheets introducing each sapling and how to care for each individual species. The information

Jaden Bartick, Alyssa Foglia, Phi-Hung Tran, C.J. Mills
and Mason Lester stand by the Ear th Day bulletin board.
was provided by University of
Florida IFAS Extension and distributed by the Village of Wellington.

The types of saplings delivered
to the students were red maple,
pond cypress, mahogany, wild
tamarind and diamond leaf oak.

Holocaust Remembrance Week At RPBHS
On Friday, May 6, Royal Palm
Beach High School Holocaust
and Jewish history teacher Darrell Schwartz took his first-period class down to the courtyard
to plant a tree in remembrance
of the Holocaust.
Holocaust Remembrance Day
was May 1. Schwartz extended
it to be Holocaust Remembrance
Week, speaking on the announcements every morning,
giving information and reading
poetry. The weeklong commem-

oration culminated in the treeplanting ceremony.
“I chose an oak tree because
it is strong, it lives a very long
time and will continue to grow,”
Schwartz said. “It represents the
strength of mankind, the strength
of the future and the strength to
prevent further atrocities.”
Before planting the tree, Rabbi Barry Silver spoke a few
words to the crowd to explain the
significance of the ceremony.
“Trees convert sunlight and

Rabbi Barry Silver, Principal Jesus Armas and Darrell Schwartz.

carbon dioxide into action and
growth,” Silver said. “Hate and
indifference were what caused
the Holocaust. This tree will
symbolize growth and spreading
our branches.”
On May 1, 1945, Germany announced to the public that Adolf
Hitler was dead. Sixty-one years
later, the death of Osama bin
Laden, Al Qaeda’s leader was
announced.
“Their humanity was dead
long before they were,” Silver
said. “We are here to combat indifference and silence, because
we shouldn’t be silent. Silence
kills. Education doesn’t end
here; we must be motivated to
act.”
In attendance was Principal
Jesús Armas, who said he hopes
that through education, repetition will be prevented.
“This should encourage students to break the silence in
more ways than what has been
said today,” Armas said. “By
breaking the silence we can take
down bullying as well as many
other problems. This tree will
serve as a reminder to all students to break the silence.”
Schwartz was grateful for the
opportunity to share this information with the school and
proud that he was able to bring
a living symbol of remembrance
to the campus.
“I was very excited about the
participation of my students and
that I was able to share what I
did on the announcements this

week,” Schwartz said. “Through
this, students learn that they
should speak up against injustice.”
Schwartz’s students didn’t
hesitate to begin digging through
the soil to make a spot for the
new addition to the courtyard.
They understood the significance of the event and were fully supportive.
“I’m really glad we’re planting the tree,” said Alexandra Jordano, a student involved in the
planting. “A lot of people don’t
remember or don’t really care
about what happened so long
ago, so I think this tree will help
remind them and will encourage
peace.”
Schwartz plans to expand the
memorial to include an area
where students can pause for reflection.
“It will be a garden with trees,
a reflection bench and a plaque
to commemorate the area’s purpose,” Schwartz said.
Schwartz said he hopes the
symbol will teach tolerance
among everyone in the community and will encourage them to
step forward and stand up for
what they believe they should.
“With all the forms of technology today, we can just turn off
the television or the computer
when we see something we don’t
like,” Schwartz said. “But things
that are happening in the world
don’t just go away with a click
of a button.”
— Andrea Aguirre

A plane flies over the western communities
carrying a message from the Ideal School.

Ideal School’s Message
To Students Takes Flight
Ideal School owner and principal Wendy Soderman believes the
sky is the limit when it comes to
educating children. Recently, Soderman met with teachers, students and parents at the school to
come up with a message to spread
that belief throughout the Royal
Palm Beach community.
“Each year our teachers travel
to attend conferences in Washington and at Harvard University to
learn what our nation’s schools
should be doing to prepare our
children to be leaders and entrepreneurs of the future,” Soderman
said. “The message is that we need
more students who can think for
themselves.”
There are plenty of people who
can memorize information and do
well taking tests, Soderman noted.
“What our business community is telling us is that they don’t
have enough employees who are
creative problem solvers, and they

have too many people who look
to their co-workers or management for solutions,” Soderman
said. “This is a recipe for failure
in an entrepreneurial economy.”
Soderman decided to take what
the Ideal Elementary and Dream
Middle schools do in the classroom and state from high above
what they believe education
should be for the 21st-century
learner.
“Beginning the week of May 9,
you’ll be seeing a plane to flying
high above the western communities from 7 to 9 a.m. sending out
our message, so keep looking up,”
Soderman said.
There are six flights scheduled
to fly in the mornings from 7 to 9
a.m. The banner reads, “Creative
thinkers are the future.”
For more information about
Ideal Elementary School and
Dream Middle School, visit www.
dreamideal.com or call (561) 7912881.

Page 18

May 13 - May 19, 2011

The Town-Crier

WWW. GOTOWNCRIER. COM

PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Wellington Teen John Hanes Takes His Medical Skills To Cambodia
John Hanes of Wellington has
dreamed of becoming a doctor
since he was 8. This summer, he
will be closer to that dream. Hanes
will be interning and volunteering
at the Sihanouk Hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The Sihanouk Hospital Center
of HOPE (SHCH) was established
in 1996 by HOPE Worldwide, an
international charity operating in
more than 60 countries.
The mission of the SHCH is to
provide a center for the further
education and clinical training of
medical professionals, while delivering 24-hour, high-quality
medical care to the poor and disadvantaged in Cambodia, com-

pletely free of charge. “It is an
honor for me to serve at the hospital and the people of Cambodia,”
the Lake Worth High School junior said.
Hanes is in the pre-medical and
allied professionals magnet program. Last year, he attended the
National Youth Leadership Forum
on Medicine, which solidified his
desire to pursue medicine with his
goal to become an orthopedic surgeon. He will be working in the
operating room under the supervision of Surgical Director Dr.
Cornelia Haener. “It is an amazing opportunity to have the privilege to ‘shadow’ this world-class
Swiss-born surgeon who has giv-

en up the comforts of a first-world
home and lifestyle to give to those
in need and to train doctors in
Cambodia,” Hanes said.
At the hospital, Hanes will help
in many capacities, including
transporting and positioning patients, helping clean up the OR
after procedures, assisting in the
post-anesthesia care unit and observing the surgical procedures.
More than half of the SHCH
patients live on less than $1 dollar
a day and would never have hope
of accessing good healthcare. For
this reason, many in Cambodia refer to the SHCH as the “Angel
Hospital” and as “a place that
gives new life.” While he admits

that living in Cambodia will be an
adjustment, Hanes is grateful for
this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “I am thankful to have been
given this chance to live in Cambodia and work at the hospital this
summer,” he said.
While at Lake Worth High
School, Hanes has already received invaluable training providing a foundation for this summer.
He is a certified medical assistant
and EKG assistant. Hanes has
been trained and certified in basic
life support and has completed
training in HIV/AIDS and HIPAA
compliance. Hanes’ volunteer service includes programs sponsored
by Florida Atlantic University’s

Center for Autism and Related
Disabilities (CARD) and the Epilepsy Foundation of Florida. He
has volunteered for CARD as a coleader of the local Teen Aspergers support group. This year
CARD has chosen him as their
constituent to provide a biography
and interview for their new informational packet. Concurrently
with this recognition, Hanes has
also been selected to represent the
Epilepsy Foundation of Florida as
an ambassador in the upcoming
National Epilepsy Foundation’s
Speak Up Speak Out conference
in Washington, D.C.
Hanes is the son of John and
Vivian Hanes of Wellington.

John Hanes

Student Artists Honored By PBC School Board
Student artists were honored at
the Palm Beach County School
Board meeting April 20. The six
winners took part in a contest created by Western Pines Middle
School students Christine Hamilton and Yanliz Gonzalez to combat underage drinking.
Through a grant, Project
SMART Manager Linda Salzman
and Alexa Lee worked with the
Acreage/Loxahatchee Rotary
Club to oversee the contest and received over 500 entries. Three
thousand people in Palm Beach
County voted to determine the
winners, whose artwork now appears in the district’s more than
900 school buses. Each student’s
poster included a fact about alcohol and a positive message to encourage students to stay alcohol-

Suzanne Lurie, Gregory
Duval To Wed May 29
Beverly and Joseph Lurie of
Wellington have announced the
forthcoming marriage of their
daughter Suzanne Robin to Gregory Duval, the son of Bobbi and
John Duval. The wedding is set
for Sunday, May 29.
Lurie graduated from Florida
Atlantic University and is em-

ployed by the Florida Department
of Environmental Protection.
Duval graduated from St.
Michael’s College and is employed by Propayroll Inc. of
Boynton Beach.
The couple will reside in Boynton Beach following their wedding.

Heather Kendall, daughter of
Margaret and Jeff Kendall of Royal Palm Beach, was crowned Miss
America’s Beauty Pageant, Junior Teen, West Palm Beach/Fort
Lauderdale/Miami on Sunday,
April 17 in Fort Lauderdale.
Kendall was one of over 100
girls between the ages of seven
and nineteen chosen to participate in the pageant. The girls
were scored on poise, confidence and presentation, as well
as beauty.
Kendall presented herself in the
categories of “Casual Wear,” “Personal Interview” and “Formal
Wear.”
Kendall gained the judges attention when she stepped on

stage in “Casual Wear” wearing
her lion dance costume and performing a portion of the symbolic dance.
Kendall will now be continuing
on to the “Cities in America” competition this December in Orlando, with more than $20,000 in college scholarships available. The
competition will include the winners from all of the America’s
Beauty Pageants held in various
cities around the United States.
Kendall has also received a modeling contract from John Casablanca modeling in Miami.
Kendall is a freshman at Seminole Ridge High School in the
Accipiter Program and is active in
the yearbook class, Mirage liter-

ary magazine, and FACE Club.
She also holds a red belt in karate
and is a member of the Ni Ma Lion
Dance team.
Kendall thanks the following
for helping her to receive the
crown: A Paradise Found Pest
Control Company of Royal Palm
Beach, Ni Ma Lion of Royal Palm
Beach and Cricket Cleaners of
Lake Worth.
Individual sponsors include
Fred Wilson, Sharon and Jim
Shockley, Mike and Pam Wilson,
Claudia Perkins, Hyacinth Brown,
Kemet Higginbotham, Lisa Engel,
Chichi Martinez, Colleen Ortega,
Amanda Meyer, Mary Bruscino,
Nicki Salter-Bruscino, Bonnie
DesPlas and Nicole Hallowell.

Heather Kendall

The Town-Crier

WWW. GOTOWNCRIER. COM

PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Student Birthday Celebration A Fundraiser

Chelsea Martin (center) with her friends at lunch.

At this year’s dinner and auction, the King’s Academy auctioned off a special opportunity for
parents to bid on a birthday celebration for their child. TKA parents J.C. and Maria Martin were
the high bidders and won the special opportunity for their daughter Chelsea to experience the “best
birthday ever.” Proceeds from the
event support the King’s Academy’s annual fund.
On Thursday, April 21, Chelsea
was surprised throughout the day
as she celebrated her 17th birthday with her teachers and friends.
Her day began with a special birthday greeting on the school mar-

quee and a personalized birthday
message read during the morning
announcements.
If that wasn’t enough to let everyone to know that Chelsea was
celebrating a birthday, her decorated locker, signs at each classroom, a singing telegram and
flowers delivered by high school
choir students, did the trick.
During lunch, Chelsea and 12
friends enjoyed a catered picnic
lunch generously donated by
Chick-Fil-A. At the end of the day,
Chelsea was presented with a
scrapbook keepsake full of pictures that captured memories of
her “best birthday ever.”

CUB SCOUTS FROM RPB PACK 120 RECEIVE AWARDS
Royal Palm Beach Cub Scout Pack 120 held its April pack meeting Monday, April 25 at the Harvin Center. The scouts started the
meeting with a flag raising, followed by ent ertainment in the form of two skits. The scouts in the Bear den received their photography belt loops, and the Webelos scouts received their artist pins. Several other scouts also received pins, belt loops and patches for
their accomplishments. The meeting ended with an Easter egg hunt on the grounds around the Harvin Center.

Dr. Vallejo To Be
Honored At Charity
Auction Aug. 12
Palm Beach State College Provost and Wellington resident Dr.
Maria M. Vallejo will be among
those honored as the 2011 Hispanic Women of Distinction.
“Community, Culture, Charity”
is the theme this year surrounding
the 10th annual charity luncheon
honoring 12 Latinas and a Latina
Pioneer in South Florida. The
event takes place Friday, Aug. 12
from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Signature Grand in Davie. Bank of
America, in partnership with Latina Style magazine, the nation’s
leading magazine for Hispanic
women, have returned as sponsors
once again.
This high-powered, entertaining salute to distinguished Hispanic-American women will benefit
the Light of the World Clinic, a
free healthcare facility serving the
community’s indigent population
since 1989. A sell-out crowd is
expected once again with over
1,000 guests. A series of activities
for the 10th anniversary leading
up to the luncheon will truly honor these talented and professional
women. Co-sponsoring is the
Nielsen Company, the world’s
leading provider of marketing information, audience measurement, and business media products and services. In addition to a
silent auction, sponsor exhibit and
raffles there will be complimen-

tary “mojitos” as guests arrive, and
a runway high-couture fashion
show presented by co-presenting
sponsor, and the Colonnade Outlets at Sawgrass Mills, completing the exciting afternoon. Past
honorees will walk the 120-foot
runway welcoming the next 12
Latinas to their special group. This
event also officially kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month.
The highlight of the day will be
families, friends and business associates honoring the 2011 honorees, who were selected among
more than 90 applicants by four
judges. Nominations were made
by former Hispanic Women of
Distinction honorees and community leaders.
The 2011 Latina Pioneer of the
Year will be announced in the next
few weeks. This prestigious award
recognizes a woman whose work
and commitment to community
has paved the way for other Latinas to achieve their goals. Past
Latina Pioneers include Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen,
Maria San Juan, Columba Bush,
Dr. Isabel Diaz, Caridad Asensio
and Joyce Kaufman.
Tickets to the luncheon cost $75
per person. Sponsorships and program advertising to salute the honorees are also available by visiting www.wedoevents.net or by
calling (954) 527-0627.

Page 20

May 13 - May 19, 2011

WWW. GOTOWNCRIER. COM

The Town-Crier

NEWS

Kids Cancer Foundation Brings Area Kids To ‘Prom To Remember’
On May 6, more than 200 cancer patients, ages 12-19 traded in
their hospital gowns for prom
dresses and tuxedos to attend the
second annual “A Prom to Remember,” a gala red carpet
evening designed in their honor.
All the festivities were provided
free of charge, including hair and
makeup, wardrobe and limousine
service, food, music and dancing.
Thanks to a generous donation
from the Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale, the kids partied in style.
The idea for “A Prom to Remember” was inspired by the
Friends of Scott Foundation in San
Diego, an organization committed
to helping families receive needed support in dealing with this
devastating disease. Friends of

Scott was founded in memory of
Scott Delgadillo, who lost his battle with acute lymphocytic leukemia at age 14. Brandon Opre,
Friends of Scott advisory council
member and chair of the Florida
prom committee, learned of the
success of the event from a friend
and wanted to partner with local
charities and businesses in South
Florida to bring the heartwarming
experience here.
The Kids Cancer Foundation, a
nonprofit that provides hope and
support to local children and families battling cancer, joined in the
event by organizing a special day
for the girls attending the prom
and their mothers.
After meeting up for a quick
snack, the girls and their moms

traveled in style in a party bus to
Becca’s Closet to pick out their
dresses. It was a special day for
all involved and a happy memory
that both mother and daughter will
never forget. That itself is a priceless thing for these kids and families battling cancer.
Young female patients at Palms
West Hospital spent the early part
of their day at Pizzazz Hair Design at Kobosko’s Crossing and at
Capricious Salon & Spa in Wellington where they were treated to
an afternoon of glamour in preparation for the evening festivities.
Kids Cancer Foundation volunteers chaperoned the children
from Palms West Hospital who attended the prom.
“All the kids are so excited

The girls gather in their prom dresses outside the bus.

about the prom,” Kids Cancer
Foundation President Michelle
O’Boyle said before the event. “It
has really given them something
to look forward to and help take
their mind off of their daily battle
with cancer.”
Tuxes for the boys were donated by Men’s Warehouse in Wellington. The hair, nails and makeup were all done at no cost to the
girls and donated by Capricious
and Pizzazz; Loriana Santarpia
did the makeup.
To learn more about “A Prom
to Remember,” visit www.aprom
toremember.org or call (877) FTLPROM. To learn more about the
Kids Cancer Foundation, visit
www.kidscancersf.org or call
(561) 371-1298.

DROWNING PREVENTION COALITION HOSTS GOLF TOURNAMENT AT BINKS FOREST
The Drowning Prevention Coalition of Palm Beach County hosted its 2011 charity golf tournament on Saturday, May 7 at the Binks
Forest Golf Club. Following the tournament, there were Chinese and silent auctions, a 50/50 raffle and barbecue dinner.
PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER

NEWS BRIEFS
MorseLife To
Host Stroke Of
Hope Event
On May 22
MorseLife, the charitable nonprofit senior care organization in
Palm Beach County, will host its
inaugural Stroke of Hope 5K Run/
Walk on Sunday, May 22 at 7 a.m.
on its 37-acre campus in West
Palm Beach.
The campus is located at 4847
Fred Gladstone Drive, off Haverhill Road, three miles north of
Okeechobee Blvd.
The event will be a chip-timed
run, combining runners in fiveyear age groups. People of all ages
and abilities are invited to run or
walk, including youngsters under
the age of 18 with the permission

of their parent or guardian.
The goal of the event, noted
organizer Judy Gelpey, is to build
awareness of stroke and stroke
prevention. Additionally, she said,
funds raised will help to support
MorseLife’s Aphasia Center,
which provides therapies, education and support to stroke survivors (called “victors”) with communication deficits.
The event takes its name from
the Stroke of Hope Club, the nonprofit founded 27 years ago to provide therapies, counseling and
support to stroke victors and family caregivers. The Stroke of Hope
Club is now under the auspices of
MorseLife.
The general registration fee
for the Stroke of Hope 5K Run/
Walk is $25, except for children
under the age of 12, who pay a
$5 registration fee. Donations

are gratefully accepted.
To register for the Stroke of
Hope event, visit www.morselife.
org/strokerunregistration, or contact Judy Gelpey at (561) 6875743 or judyg@morselife.org for
a registration form.

ning from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Admission is free for members and $10
for nonmembers; membership
costs $25. For more information,
call (954) 856-0751, visit www.
wellingtongop.com or e-mail
pkrayeski@bellsouth.net.

Palms West
Republican Club
To Meet May 18

Yard Sale At
Acreage Church

State Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto
(R-District 27) will be the featured
speaker at the Palms West Republican Club meeting Wednesday,
May 18 at the Players Club (13410
South Shore Blvd., Wellington).
The public is always invited and
welcome.
A social hour with complimentary hors d’oeuvres will start at 6
p.m. with the general meeting run-

Grace Fellowship Acreage will
host a community yard sale Saturday, May 14 from 8 a.m. to noon
at the church property at 75th
Place North and Seminole Pratt
Whitney Road, just north of Publix.
Gates will open for setup at 7
a.m. Space is free but setup and
cleanup are your responsibility. To
make reservations, or for more information, call Cindy Potts (561)
301-5205.

continued from page 1
allowing for spectators, exhibitors
and other equestrian enthusiasts to
stay nearby. Additionally, there
will be a retail area for restaurants,
shops and offices.
Competition is set to begin at
the site in December.
“We’re going to try to get the
rings and equestrian components
done by December 2011,” Bellissimo said. “And then we’re working in parallel for an amendment
to work on a hotel and the retail
property.”
Dover called it “a dream come
true” for the sport.
“Not just in Florida or in America, but in the world,” Dover said.
“It affords an opportunity for people from all around the world to
enjoy what our friends in the
jumping and hunter world have
known for many years: that Wellington is a lifestyle that can be had
no place else on Earth.”

Chamber

Budgetary
Choices

continued from page 1
two deputies or 10 crossing
guards, or reduce it by 5 percent,
which would mean losing five
deputies or 25 crossing guards.
The majority of participants
voted to keep the law enforcement
budget the same.

And already, excitement about
the new facility and competition
is being drummed up around the
world, Braddick said. “In Europe,
the response has been, ‘Let us
have at it.’ This is the most exciting thing,” he said. “This is probably the most exciting development in dressage in the United
States in the history of the sport.”
Braddick said that in his recent
travels overseas, he has been approached by some of the top riders in the sport to find out when
the facility will be ready for competition.
Braddick noted that previously, top riders have shied away from
coming to the U.S. because of the
lack of facilities and prize money.
“One of the sad things about
dressage in the U.S. is … there’s
no prize money, there’ s no
crowds,” he said. “The sport has
a huge following and a very devoted community. And the Europeans absolutely love coming
here. So you give them a venue,
you give them some prize money,
and it’s going to be great.”
Speaking to the crowd gathered

for the groundbreaking, Bellissimo noted that dressage often has
been the “orphan” of equestrian
sports in the community.
“Not that there haven’t been
great efforts going on,” he said,
“but there wasn’t the sense of
community that is consistent with
the hunter and jumper world.”
Bellissimo said that the new facility would help to show off the
sport of dressage and bring the
community closer together.
“I think this is going to be such
a showplace for the sport,” he said.
“It’s a really great opportunity to
really transform it. This is one of
the most valuable equestrian properties in Wellington, and it’s going to be a showplace.”
The new facility will also help
Wellington make an identity for
itself in the dressage world and the
community as a whole, he said.
“I think this is going to be the
equestrian center of Wellington,”
Bellissimo said. “And we need
one. If we want to distinguish ourselves in the world, we need to
have this set up in a way that is
world-class.”

Neighborhood Services Manager Tracey Lamport spoke on
behalf of the Safe Neighborhoods
initiative, noting that the PBSO
has credited the program with
helping to reduce crime.
Lamport explained that the program aims to raise the quality of
life in several aging neighborhoods.
Participants could choose to
maintain the program’s budget,
increase it or cut it by 2 percent.

The majority voted to maintain its
budget.
Wellington Cultural Programs
& Facilities Manager Joe Piconcelli explained that the parks and
recreation athletic budget serves
thousands of residents each year
by providing sports leagues for all
ages.
The question presented was to
increase its budget, cut it or keep
it the same. Participants chose to
keep it the same.
Cuts came from Wellington’s
landscaping budget, which a majority of participants voted to cut
by 5 percent.
Chamber members were given
a final question to raise revenue
by raising the millage rate. Participants could choose to maintain
Wellington’s tax rate of 2.5 mills
and reduce property tax income by
$1.3 million, to maintain the same
revenue by increasing the tax rate,
to increase the tax rate slightly to
2.6 mills to raise some revenues,
or to reduce the tax rate to 2.4
mills.
“By having the same exact tax
rate as we did last year,” McIlveen
said, “our revenue will decrease

by $1.3 million. In order to have
the same revenues as last year, we
have to increase the tax rate.”
The majority of participants
voted to maintain the same revenue by raising the tax rate.
Overall, chamber members

were able to put Wellington in the
black by cutting some areas and
raising revenue. McIlveen noted,
however, that the exercise represented only a fraction of the tough
decisions that municipalities are
facing.

“In this simulation, we were
actually able to balance the budget,” McIlveen said. “However,
these are only four of the many
questions Wellington Village
Council members and staff have
to face.”

cent cut. And I don’ t want to see
it cut from maintenance; I want
to see it cut from other departments.”
ITID Administrator Tanya
Quickel noted that the staff was
already aware of some changes to
the budget.
“On Friday we received … information about the 3 percent that
employees will be required to contribute,” she said, referring to
pending changes to the state’s
public-sector retirement program.
“This has not been signed into law
yet, but we anticipate this being
done. So we will make those
changes for the next meeting.”

Quickel asked the board to consider adding to the budget the provision that would allow the new
state-mandated 3 percent deduction to come from employees’
paychecks.
Supervisors were also asked to
consider a 3 percent merit raise
being added into the budget. Supervisor Ralph Bair said he would
approve the merit raises.
“I’m in favor of the merit raise,”
he said. “I think the merit system
is the way to go. It won’t affect
everyone, but it will give them an
incentive to work harder.”
Board President Michelle Damone said she wanted to see mer-

it raises based on true merit —
“not based on using merit to supplement this [retirement deduction],” she said. “At some point,
when the economy levels out, I
think we need to go back to the
system of providing each of our
employees with a merit raise on
their actual performance.”
Damone said that she believed
employees could contribute the 3
percent retirement deduction but
didn’t want the deduction to get
confused with the merit raise.
“I am not supplementing 3 percent by merit,” she said, “because
then that’s a false merit.”
Quickel said that there had been

merit raises last year of up to 3
percent only for hourly employees if they qualified based on evaluations.
The board voted unanimously
to support the state’s recommendation of the 3 percent deduction
to come from employees’ paychecks.
Supervisors also voted to return to a “true merit” system
during the upcoming fiscal year
for employee raises, based on
evaluations.
ITID will host a public hearing
on the budget Wednesday, May 25
at 6:30 p.m.
In other business, the supervi-

sors voted to continue ITID’s financial audit services with the firm
of Rampell & Rampell, P.A.
According to a staff report, the
district put out a request for bids
for an independent certified public accounting firm to provide annual external financial audits.
There were five respondents, with
Rampell & Rampell ranked as the
top choice.
The contract would be renewable annually for up to five years
at the board’s discretion. The
board voted 3-1 to approve the
measure, with Supervisor Carlos
Enriquez opposed and Supervisor
Jennifer Hager absent.

dents,” Webster said. “What you
have before you are a few people
who don’t agree with that.”
Boyle said residents were concerned about traffic safety, especially along Crestwood Blvd.
Resident Tom Dinges was concerned about commercial and industrial usage and how it would
affect traffic since the only entrance and exit to the tract would
be from Crestwood Blvd. Dinges
compared it with the traffic flow
of larger roads such as Forest Hill
and Southern boulevards.
“You have [State Road 7] that’s
eight lanes, you have Forest Hill
that’s six lanes, you have multiple
entrances and exits out of there,
so the flow of traffic you don’t
even notice because it works so
well,” Dinges said, “but if you take
something like [the tract], and you
have one way in and one way out,
it’s going to be completely different — you’re going to have a traffic debacle over there.”
Boyle said that the more than
650 homes served by the Crest-

wood and Saratoga intersection
don’t currently merit a traffic light,
according to local traffic experts.
“From a safety perspective, 200
homes would not significantly add
to the traffic on Crestwood Blvd.,”
Boyle said. “Therefore, the task
force recommendation is compatible with the existing properties
and will provide short- as well as
long-term revenue streams and
will not add any additional safety
concerns to those that may now
need to be addressed anyway.”
Boyle said goals for the site
need to be based in reality, not unrealistic wishes.
“Royal Palm Beach is a bedroom community, which supports
businesses in Palm Beach County; it is not an area readily conducive to creating a demand for higher-paying jobs,” Boyle said. “We
need to focus on our citizens here.
Our village needs to provide locally the needs for our current citizens to develop and enhance their
job skills.”
The greatest number of com-

ments from the community involved potential recreational uses.
Boyle noted that recreational areas don’t generate revenue to the
community but cost the taxpayers
money.
Councilman David Swift echoed the concern for potential revenue.
“At the end of the day, could
this land use breakdown potentially generate revenues?” Swift
asked.
Swift said that he was, in general, in favor of the recommendations by the task force, but felt the
village should shelve the issue
until the economic climate was
better.
Pinto made a motion to accept
the report, rather than move forward immediately with the task
force’s recommendation. Vice
Mayor Richard Valuntas seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.
The council agreed to revisit the
issue once the real estate outlook
has improved.

continued from page 1
that she’d like to see more deductions across the board.
“This budget needs to come
down a little more,” she said.
“These are hard times. We have a
lot of places we need to cut.”
Jacobs suggested cutting from
areas such as food and travel expenses.
“I just think we really need to
go through it and cut,” she said.
“I’d like to see closer to a 10 per-

Task Force

Final Report

continued from page 4
use or the other, site characteristics that would limit or prohibit
development, usefulness of the
existing building, and legal constraints that would encumber development of the site.
Boyle said that the task force
had been given the broadest possible latitude to recommend land
uses that would meet the needs of
the village.
“It was the duty of each task
force member to evaluate this information, separate fact from
opinion and interpretation, and
attempt to place these in perspective of their individual thought
processes,” Boyle said.
Vice Mayor Martha Webster,
the council’s liaison to the task
force, commented on its representativeness to village residents.
“What we have brought before
you is the consensus of the resi-

The chamber presents Wellington staff members with a plaque for sponsoring the luncheon.
PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER

LGWCD

Horse Trail
At E Road

continued from page 1
open the pathway for a “pedestrian-accessible walkway” excluded
equestrian uses. “I thought it
would be open to horses,” he said.
Widing agreed. “We can’t say
horses can’t go down the property,” he said. “We should just open
it for equestrian uses.”
He also suggested including
signage designating the pathway
as an approved equestrian trail.
Crawford wondered whether,
for the path to be designated an
equestrian trail, fencing would be
required to keep riders off the adjacent private property, but Viator
said it would not.
Widing said he didn’t think that
would be a problem. “I feel that
the equestrian community is respectful,” he said. “I don’t think
they’ll ride on other people’s property.”

Resident Anita Corning noted
that the pathway has weeds from
not being maintained and that
many of the properties along the
path already have fences. She encouraged the board to consider
connecting equestrian trails
throughout the district.
“When you put an equestrian
trail through the neighborhood,
connectivity is important,” she
said. “Otherwise it’s like having a
railroad system with no way to get
to it.”
Crawford wondered whether
it would be up to the property
owners who put up the gates to
take them down at their own expense. Viator said that was the
case.
Widing suggested setting a date
by which the gates would have to
be taken down. Viator suggested
giving them at least 30 days if not
60 days.
The board voted unanimously
to approve the designation of the
pathway as a trail for pedestrians
and equestrians.

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WWW.GOTOWNCRIER. COM

May 13 - May 19, 2011

Page 23

Page 24

May 13 - May 19, 2011

The Town-Crier

WWW. GOTOWNCRIER. COM

Didi Burton
Agency

The Town-Crier

WWW. GOTOWNCRIER. COM

Vinceremos Has Been Life Changing For Legato Family

Af ter years of wondering how to help her son Jason deal with his
autism, Louisa Legato heard about the Vinceremos Therapeutic
Riding Center in Loxahatchee Groves. Jason didn’t need physical
therapy, so he began therapeutic riding sessions tailored to meet
his unique needs. Ellen R osenberg’s Column, Page 27

May 13 - May 19, 2011

Page 25

WHS Athletes Sign On To Play College Sports

Several Wellington High School seniors signed to play for
the colleges of their choice on National Athle tic Signing
Day held Thursday, May 5. The signees are Austin Peavler,
Lucas Riebe, Alex DiNardo, Amir Pollock, Chris Thomas,
Mercedes Queen and Brandon Lustgarten. Page 41

Shopping
Spree
A TOWN-CRIER PUBLICATION

INSIDE

Business
Wellington To Be Featured On The
TV Show ‘Luxe World With Anolan’

Anolan Dragitsch, executiv e producer and host of
the television program Luxe World With Anolan , debuts a new season this month, showcasing Wellington early on in one of the shows. The show features
the best of the best in luxury lifestyle. Viewers are
offered an exclusive look into world-class destinations, the latest in fashion and beauty trends, and
everything in between. Page 35

Sports
SRHS Volleyball Boys
Top Gardens To Win
The District Title

The Seminole Ridge High
School varsity boys volleyball
team traveled to Palm Beach
Gardens where they defeated the Gators in four games
to win the District 5 championship Thursday, May 6. The
Hawks defeated Wellington
High School in the regional finals Tuesday. Page 41

Vinceremos Has Been Life Changing For The Legato Family
It was about 10 years
ago that Louisa Legato, then living in Pennsylvania, noticed that
there was something
different about her son
Jason. Though he was
By Ellen
only 2, he wasn’t interRosenberg
ested in the same things
as his peers. When
Louisa brought him to Mom- chee Groves. “I’ve ridden all
my and Me classes or other my life,” Louisa said. “Up
events involving other tod- north, I was deeply involved
dlers, she could see it.
in pony club. I taught, I had
“He wasn’t into social horses, the whole nine yards.
things; he didn’t talk at all,” In fact, I used to bring Jason
Louisa recalled. “I just knew along with me to the barn
there was something going when I was giving lessons.
on. I brought him to my doc- He always seemed interested.
tor, who said it was because He clearly liked horses. Then
Jason was an only child and I found out about Vinceremonly around adults most of os, and I thought it was an
the time, so he didn’t need to awesome idea, a great way
talk — all his needs were be- for Jason, then five, to reconing met.”
nect with horses.”
But it wasn’t that at all. JaLouisa had sold her horses
son was autistic.
before moving south. She’d
Fast-forward to December watched some of the Winter
2002. Louisa and her family Equestrian Festival shows
moved to Wellington. A but hadn’t had any real conwhile after that, in August tact with horses. She couldn’t
2005, Louisa read an article afford to keep one or even
in the Town-Crier about the take lessons. Vinceremos
Vinceremos Therapeutic seemed like it would fit the
Riding Center in Loxahat- bill in many ways.

Tales From
The Trails

Jason and Louisa Legato with Cracker Jack.

“I called them up
and spoke with Ruth
Menor, the executive
director, and we set up
Jason’s first session.
We both loved it. Jason could ride, and I
could ride and get my
horse fix. I started volunteering. It was a
good fit. I had all of the pony
club background. I just had
to learn about the NARHA
requirements.”
NARHA, the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, is a nonprofit organization formed in
1969 to promote equine-assisted therapy for individuals
with special needs. The
group’s mission is to change
and enrich lives by promoting excellence in equine-assisted activities and therapies.
It certifies and accredits programs such as Vinceremos.
“Vinceremos is an amazing place,” Louisa said. “A lot
of children have physical disabilities, but autism is a disability that most people can’t
see. When you have an autistic child, it can be difficult
to go out in public. Autistic

children tend to be overactive. People stare. They judge
you as being a bad parent
unable to control this child.
At Vinceremos, no one is
judgmental. Jason is free to
be who he is. We can go there
and feel safe. All the parents
understand. They’re dealing
with the same or similar issues.”
Jason didn’t need physical
therapy. He received therapeutic riding sessions tailored
to meet his needs. Since he
didn’t have a lot of expressive language, following directions became a large part
of his riding, helping him
concentrate and participate.
“He has to use words to tell
the horse to walk or trot,”
Louisa explained. “He has to
understand directions, like
making a circle or weaving
through the poles. He has to
express an opinion, telling the
instructor what he wants and
doesn’t want to do. Riding
gives him a lot of sensory input, which he craves. It’s also
helped him a lot with his coordination and fine motor
control. Jason is still a man
See ROSENBERG, page 28

The Estate Sale Business Is Fun, But Has Its Challenges
Sometimes I surprise myself with my timing. Last year, I began running estate sales for
people, and now, as Baby Boomers begin to
downsize, it’s all the rage.
When I started out, I barely knew what an
estate sale was. Now I know — it’s a garage
sale on steroids. But it takes place inside the
house as well as in the garage because just
about everything on the property is for sale.
When someone has inherited the contents
of a household, they are often amazed (and
somewhat intimidated) by the number of things
it is possible to accumulate over the years.
Plus, they have no idea of the value of some
of these things. Plus, they don’t want to clean
out that whole house.
Yet they need to sell it.
Enter me, Deb Welky. As an enthusiastic
cleaner-upper; as someone who can spot value when I see it; as someone who has more
enthusiasm than common sense, I go in there
and take care of everything for them. I clean

Deborah
Welky is

The Sonic
BOOMER
out the cabinets, arrange things on tables as
if the place is a store, contact my buyers, run
the ads, hire the help and conduct the sale. At
the end of the day, the seller has a big fat
check, and I have a headache, an aching back,
an unidentified fungus, a group of weary workers with their hands out and a little bitty check.
Yet I love this business.
I ran an estate sale last Saturday for a guy
whose mother had died suddenly. He (wisely)
had invited the relatives over to take whatever they wanted, but he was still stuck with the

clothes, the linens, the dishes, the office supplies and any furniture too big, heavy, outdated and/or ugly to have been carried out the
door.
On the initial walk-through, I knew this was
going to be a challenge. The dishes were made
in China, the knickknacks were plastic, and
the furniture wasn’t exactly from the Federal
period.
I spent a week unearthing everything, washing the neglected stuff and pricing it. I set
aside the family photographs, the coin collection, the driver’s license and the stash of gold
jewelry I found between the mattress and the
box spring. Those would not be part of the
sale. Neither would the food.
But anything else was fair game. Sheet sets
went for $5, curtains for $20. Bath towels were
$2 each. Art (and I use the term loosely) was
priced at $5 to $50. CDs, paperbacks and halfused bottles of Windex were priced at 50 cents
apiece. The non-flat TVs didn’t sell (they never

will), nor did the record player. (“What’s that
for, Mommy?”)
They tried to buy the garden hose off the
back of the house. They tried to buy my table
covers. They tried to buy my A-frame signs.
At 2:30 p.m., the leftovers went to half price,
and then the house was pretty near empty. It
looked like a band of gypsies had ravaged the
place.
I sold three couches, four chairs, a bed and
some bookcases, but, at the end of the day,
the real money hadn’t been made on the big
stuff. It had come in a dollar at a time through
shoelaces, sewing supplies and books. The
owner made a couple thousand dollars, and I
made almost $1,000. I hauled away all the unsold items, and the house is now “broom
clean” and ready for sale.
In addition to my cut, I got first pick of the
leftovers for my shop.
And I met my goal — earning enough money to be able to pay my chiropractor!

‘Thor’ Movie Destined To Be A Strong Summer Blockbuster
Summer has finally more or less arrived with
the first (well, actually, second) of the big summer movies, Thor. Since I had zero interest in
Fast and Furious Five, which opened last
week, this is the start of the summer season
for me. And that means I get to see huge, big
budget movies that are generally more or less
brainless and a lot of fun. And Thor fits that
bill perfectly.
If you want heavy drama with a sense of
greatness in a summer film, go watch The Dark
Knight on DVD. For Thor, be grateful for a bit
of fun, a lot of action, a good dose of cynical
humor and special effects that are not stateof-the-art but do work in context.
The film is based on secondhand Norse
mythology, secondhand in that it works
through the Marvel Comics version of the
myths. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is the bad boy
son of Odin (Anthony Hopkins), the ruler of
Asgard. Paying no attention to his father’s
orders, he leads a small group of his friends to
Jotunheim, land of the ice giants, to wreak
revenge for an attempted theft of a power
source his father had taken in a previous war.
Thor’s actions push the worlds to war, and
Thor is banished to Midgard (Earth), where
he has no powers. His luck changes when he
is hit by a car driven by scientist Jane Foster
(Natalie Portman), and they begin a tentative

Rosenberg

Legato Family

continued from page 27
of few words, but he’s learning to make his
wants and needs known.”
Jason rides one time each week, working
with the same instructor each time. This is
important, Louisa explained, so there’s continuity of communication and a mutual feeling
of trust and understanding. And no, Louisa
doesn’t teach Jason. “Jason knows how to
get around Mommy. It’s much better for him
to interact with others,” she said.
Louisa volunteers 12 to 15 hours each week.
She went ahead and received her NARHA
instructor certification for therapeutic riding
in September 2006. She had to take two online

‘I’ On
CULTURE
By Leonard
Wechsler
relationship (not quite “me Thor, you Jane”
but not far from that). Thor learns humility,
and winds up back fighting for the throne.
Sequel to follow in probably two years.
Director Kenneth Branagh, best known for
his Shakespearean work, tries to create that
type of family dynamic in this film. Thor’s halfbrother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is a schemer
with a whole raft of Freudian problems. Instead of being flat-out evil (which he tends to
be in most Norse legends), he’s basically a
mixed-up kid. That does not help the plot. Thor
just does not face much in the way of challenges. The main conceit of the film is that
Thor cannot use his famed magic hammer
Mjölnir unless he is worthy. And he becomes
worthy very, very fast — actually, more or
less overnight. In the real Norse mythology,
Odin sacrifices an eye to get wisdom (not to
mention a stretch of time more or less crucicourses, attend a two-day seminar, pass both
a written and a practical test, and then work as
a student teacher with another certified instructor for 25 hours.
“I love working with our clients,” she said.
“Some are more challenging than others. Some
have cognitive disabilities, one is blind and
deaf — it really doesn’t matter. Everyone enjoys being here. I get the joy of seeing innumerable things. I get to see children being just
as successful as any other children, and all
because of a horse. Everyone touches your
life. I enjoy spending time at Vinceremos. I
love being around everyone — the clients,
the parents, the staff and other volunteers.
It’s truly like a huge family.”
For more information, visit www.
vinceremos.com or call (561) 792-9900.

fied on Yggdrasil, the great tree). Thor gets it
after urging a group of unarmed people to get
away from a gigantic killing machine sent by
Loki. Wow!
The cast is excellent, so good that for most
of them, the acting demands were ridiculously easy. Portman will not win an Oscar for this
performance, nor even be nominated, although she was fine. Stellan Skarsgård, as an
old friend and mentor, is basically wasted. Kat
Dennings as Jane’s assistant has a few really
funny lines. Hopkins gets to bluster around
in fine Shakespearean mode, and it was nice
to see Rene Russo back onscreen as his wife,
even if only for a few minutes.
The only actor whose acting is central to
the plot, Hemsworth, is large and good-looking. He seems to follow directions well but
adds little in the way of subtlety to the plot.
Yet it is a fun movie. My friends and I all
agreed on that as we left the theater. It will not

win any awards, except perhaps at the box
office. The theater was crowded even though
it was Friday afternoon, and we went to the
2D version. Like most 3D action movies that
are out, this was designed for 2D, with the real
3D effects mostly scenery. But the plot was
good enough that it kept our interest throughout. Yes, it was a bit blustery with all of the
family argument bits. And, yes, it occasionally lingered a bit too long on the scenery, particularly in the ones that were “off Earth.”
But there was enough good humor, not to
mention some really good battle scenes, mixed
with enough personal relationship pieces, to
make it fun to watch.
It is, of course, something of a “guilty pleasure,” but we should remember that despite
the guilt, there is also pleasure. It is a good
movie to watch, buying the overpriced popcorn and then sitting back and relaxing. In
other words, a classic summer movie.

PBC MISSING CHILDREN’S DAY

At the Palm Beach County Commission meeting May 3, Commissioner Jess Santamaria
presented a proclamation to Nancy McBride declaring May 25 as “National Missing
Children’s Day” in Palm Beach County.

The Town-Crier

WWW. GOTOWNCRIER. COM

Academy for Child Enrichment — In the heart of Royal Palm Beach, the Academ y for Child Enrichment
offers free all-day VPK. Infants through after-school day and night care, 6:30 a.m. t o midnight (Monday
through Friday), meals included. Qualified staff. Se habla Espanol. Special rates for all registration. The
Academ y for Child Enrichment is located at 700 Camellia Drive in Royal P alm Beach. Call (561) 7983458 or visit www.smallworldpbc.com for info.
Breaker s West Summer Camp — For the summer of a lif etime, children ages 5-14 are invited to join the
2011 summer camp at Breakers West. Enjoy wildlife demonstrations, science e xperiments, magic shows,
arts & crafts, cooking classes, golf, tennis, baske tball, soccer, daily swimming instruction and much more!
Camp runs June 6 - Aug. 19 (excluding July 4-8), Monday –through Friday from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sessions are $300 per camper, per week , plus a one-time registration fee of $50, which includes a camp
essentials bag. Discounts are offered to families regist ering multiple children and/or for multiple sessions. Af ter-care is available. Space is limit ed. To register for Breakers West Summer Camp, call (561)
653-6333.
Camp Giddy-Up — Ravenwood Riding Academy has been located in Wellington for 21 years. Licensed and
insured, with all safety equipment provided, they are located on a beautiful, safe and clean f arm with
plenty of shade. Ravenwood is now accepting 12 students per session, ages 6-14. Camp hours are 9 a.m.
to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. Campers learn safety, horse care and grooming, with riding lessons
daily, as well as scheduled visits with a blacksmith, horse vet and equine dentist. Weekly sessions are
$185. Sibling discounts or multi-session discounts are available. Camp Giddy-Up has a full staf f and a
hands-on director. Register today by calling (561) 793-4109 or visit www.ravenwoodridingacademy.com.
Hurry, sessions f ill up quickly!
The King’s Academy “Camping Around the World” — TKA’s summer cam p welcomes ages 5 through 8th
grade. Experience different cultures through craft projects, science experiments, f ield trips, music and
more. Counselors are q ualified teachers, first aid certified and offer a lo ving environment. Day camp/
sports camp with daily lunches run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m with many options and before/after care. Field
trips to Calypso Bay, the South Florida Science Museum, the Palm Beach Zoo, Lion Countr y Safari and
more, all for one inclusive price. Regist er now at www.tka.net and sa ve $25 when you mention this offer.
Call Helga Van Wart (56 1) 686-4244 for more info.
The Learning Foundation of Florida’s Academic Summer Camp — TLFF’s Elementary, Middle, & High
School Summer Academic Camp Program has several different ser vice options available to assist the
diverse needs of students. TLFF’s kindergarten thr ough eighth grade summer program focuses on individualized academic remediation using thematic units and a varie ty of teaching strat egies, including a
multi-sensory, hands-on approach. TLFF’s high school program focuses on grade f orgiveness and or acceleration. Students who have received Ds or Fs in classes can redo them for a higher grade. Both programs are open Tuesday through Thur sday from 8:30 a.m. through 12:30 p.m. For more information, call
(561) 795-6886.
Loxahatchee Countr y Preschool — Loxahatchee Country Preschool will start of f this summer with a
“home run!” Baseball, football and soccer activities will take place throughout the summer. The school
has been here for 20-plus years and provides a safe environment with small ratios for summer campers,
which means the children are well supervised. Throughout the summer, the camp program offers ar ts
and craf ts, field trips (attended by the management team), swimming lessons, Spanish lessons, movies,
a bounce house, bowling and much more. A free pizza lunch will be pro vided Fridays. The school provides
a safe envir onment for the children, while providing an excellent educational program. In a letter sent to
the school, the Kings Academy wr ote, “ What preschools are better prepared for Kings? Loxahatchee
Country Preschool was mentioned with enthusiasm!” Call (561) 790-1780 for more info.
Movement Arts Dance Academy — Movement Ar ts will be holding five w eeks of fun-filled summer camp
from June 20 through July 29. Weekly themed mini camps (Monday through Thursday from 9 - 1 1:30
a.m.) for ages 3-5 will include arts and crafts and games in addition to learning se veral styles of dance.
Full day camps (Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) for ages 6-11 will include ballet, tap, jazz, hip
hop and more. Early care and af ter care are available at an additional fee for the full-day camps. A pizza
par ty and performance will be held each Friday of the full-day camp sessions. The studio is conveniently
located on State R oad 7, just south of Okeechobee Blvd. F or more information, call (56 1) 792-9757 or
visit www.movementartsdanceacademy.com.
The Royal Palm Beach Elementar y Bobcat Summer Camp — Bobcat Summer Camp offers a magnificent
schedule of f ield trips, four or five times per week, which include: bowling, skating, swimming, the Discovery Museum & IMAX Theater, Rapids W ater par k, fitness festival, Chuck E. Cheese, Fun Depot, Veterans
Park, movies, Lion Country Safari, Super Play USA, U-Bounce, Golf World, the zoo, Carnival Fun Station
and an Orlando trip. On campus activities include: sports, craf ts carnivals, computers, academics, game
room, shows, carnivals, D.J. par ties and more. The professional staf f is dedicated to providing a q uality
summer camp. It is Gold Seal certified and an award-winning camp. For a summer of fun, call Deb Pagliaro
at (561) 633-4431, ext. 30.
Temple Beth Torah’s Leonie Arguetty Preschool — If y our child is between 2 and 6 years old, “Summer
of Fun” Enrichment Camp at Temple Beth Torah’s Leonie Arguetty Preschool is the place to be! Here, your
child will enjoy a variety of fun activities that will mak e them smile, while promoting learning and social
development. A ctivities include: arts & crafts, gymnastics, computers, spor ts, nature, cooking, water play
and a state-of-the-ar t playground. They’re sure to love the weekly entertainment, including High Touch
High Tech, storytellers and animal shows. All of this in a loving and nurturing environment. Eight w eeks,
full and part time. Free summer VPK. Now enrolling for preschool 2011-12. Contact Sandy for more
information at (561) 793-2649 or psdirect or@templebethtorah.net.
TNT Gymnastics Center — TNT is of fering a great summer program with flexible hours and fun-filled days.
They pr ovide a safe, positive environment for your child to enhance self-esteem and physical fitness
through gymnastics, trampolines, rock climbing, group games, arts & crafts, water play, martial arts and
much more! TNT owner Tina Tysk a is a former Class 1 gymnast coached by two-time Olympian Kim Chase.
She has over 25 years of coaching experience, including toddlers thru Level 9 gymnasts as well as specialneeds children. TNT Gymnastics is located at 3120 Fairlane Farms Road in Wellington. F or more info.,
call (561) 383-TNT1 (8681).
Wellington Tennis Center — Have fun and learn to play tennis this summer! Children ages 6 to 13 at all
levels of play (beginners through advanced) are welcome. All instruct ors are USPTA/USTA QuickStar t
certified. The new QuickStart format will be used for ages 6 to 8. Camp runs Monday through Friday, June
6 - Aug. 12 (excluding July 4-8). Tennis camp only (9 to 11 a.m.) is $100 for Wellington residents ($120
for non-residents) per camper, per week. Extended camp (9 a.m. t o 1:30 p.m.) includes tennis, lunch and
super vised swim and costs $150 for Wellington residents ($170 for non-residents) per camper, per week .
Discounts are offered for registering multiple children in one family or for multiple w eeks. Pick your weeks
and register early! Space is limited. To register, call the Wellington Tennis Center at (561) 791-4775.

May 13 - May 19, 2011

Page 29

Page 30

May 13 - May 19, 2011

WWW. GOTOWNCRIER. COM

The Town-Crier

The Town-Crier

TREAT YOUR KIDS TO A

Summer OF fun

WWW. GOTOWNCRIER. COM

May 13 - May 19, 2011

Page 31

2011 Breakers West Summer Camp
Calling all campers for a summer of a lifetime. Sports-minded, adventure-seeking,
nature-loving kids, ages 5 – 14, will find something for everyone at Breakers West,
where there is fun for all and all for fun.
Daily Golf, Tennis, Basketball, Soccer Play & Swimming Instruction
Arts & Crafts | Magic Shows | Cooking Classes
Wildlife Demonstrations | Science Projects
Friday’s Famous Family Cookout And Much More...
After Care Available

‘Project Tandem’ Opens May 19 At P.B. Photographic Centre
Palm Beach Photographic Centre President and CEO Fatima NeJame has announced the museum’s
next major exhibition will be
“Project Tandem: Two Bicycles,
Two Photographers, One 11,000Mile Ride” by Morrigan McCarthy
and Alan Winslow. It will open
Thursday, May 19, with a special
lecture by the artists Wednesday,
May 18.
McCarthy and Winslow completed a year-long, 11,000-mile bicycle
ride around the United States in
2009. “Project Tandem” is the multimedia result of that journey’s goal:
to photograph and interview everyday Americans about their views on
the environment. They rode from
Rockland, Maine to St. Augustine,
west to San Diego, then up to Seattle, and zig-zagged their way back
to New York through the American
Midwest. McCarthy and Winslow
rode through 30 states photographing and interviewing people they
met along the way, camping at night
and gaining a great appreciation for

the kindness of strangers.
Bicycling allowed the two men
to immerse themselves in the various subcultures and communities
they visited so they could better understand the way the rest of America felt about climate change and the
environment. After interviewing
and photographing hundreds of
people all around the country, McCarthy and Winslow have put together a show of portraits and a
looping audio track of voices from
all over America speaking candidly about the environment. The show
illuminates the differences in opinion between regions and individuals, but it also somehow seems to
bring people together.
“Project Tandem” will run from
May 19 through June 18. An opening reception will take place May
19 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Opening June 24 and running
through Aug. 20 at the Palm Beach
Photographic Center will be the annual juried show “Infocus” and
“Picture My World” featuring pho-

A photograph from Jackson, Mont.

tographs taken by local children and
young teenagers.
Dedicated to the enrichment of
life through education, exhibitions,
community programs, workshops
and cultural activities that promote
the art of photography and digital
imaging, the Palm Beach Photographic Centre has been hailed by
the Columbia Journalism Review as
one of the world’s leading photo
centers.
Every January, the Photo Centre
hosts FOTOfusion, a five-day festival offering more than more than
100 workshops, lectures, panel discussions, multimedia presentations,
portfolio reviews, hands-on computer classes, demonstrations and
photo shoots taught by an impressive faculty of industry leaders and
photographic giants who donate
their time and expertise to educate,
mentor and encourage creativity
among participants of all levels and
ages. FOTOfusion attracts participants from around the globe.
In addition, the Palm Beach Photographic Centre hosts more than
200 seminars and workshops
throughout the year, with students
coming from all 50 states and
around the world. These classes are
instructed by master photographers
who skillfully communicate the intuitive and intangible aspects of image making.
The Palm Beach Photographic
Centre is located at the downtown
City Center municipal complex at
415 Clematis Street in downtown
West Palm Beach. Hours are 10 a.m.
to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and
Saturday; and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, call (561)
253-2600, or visit www.workshop.
org or www.fotofusion.org.

Photographs from Mamou, La. (above) and Saratoga, Wyo. (below).

CGSM Gallery To Host Book Signing With Local Artists May 20

A Raku piece by Maria Hayden.

The Clay-Glass-Metal-Stone Cooperative Gallery in Lake Worth
will host a book-signing event to
celebrate the five local artists who
have been selected to appear in Lark
Press’ latest publication, 500 Raku:
Bold Explorations of a Dynamic
Ceramics Technique.
The artists were among 500 selected from thousands around the
country who applied for the honor.
A book signing featuring these artists will take place at the gallery
Friday, May 20 from 6 to 9 p.m.
Three artists from the gallery
were among the five selected. Jesse
Showalter has been exploring and
expanding his work in Raku for
over a five-year period. Once an
artist with a strictly functional line
of work, Showalter began pushing
the boundaries of his craft, taking
his many students with him. His explorations into the chemical reac-

tions of natural elements and fire
have produced breathtaking effects.
Maria Hayden has taken the basics of the Raku technique and
pushed the bounds, creating exquisite forms embellished with the distinct Raku surface. Her use of color
defines her pushes elevates her work
to fine art status.
Betty Wilson, owner of the Craft
Gallery in West Palm Beach has
taught countless artists and amateurs the art of Raku firing. A prolific artist who is at home in many
media, her Raku works stand out as
unique tributes to her many talents
and abilities. She currently serves
as president of the Palm Beach
County Ceramics League.
Included in the book signing are
two friends of the gallery, both talented artists with followings in Palm
Beach County. Kara Taylor is both
a clay artist and photographer. Her

abilities to teach and work with
young children are well known.
Rhea Moss has been a clay artist
for several decades and has worked
with Raku under the tutelage of
Showalter. Moss is a member of the
Palm Beach County Ceramics
League.
The Clay-Glass-Metal-Stone Cooperative Gallery is sponsored by
the Flamingo Clay Studio, a nonprofit arts organization whose mission is to provide affordable studio
and gallery space for three-dimensional artists. Hours are 9 a.m. to 1
p.m. Sunday through Tuesday and
9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through
Saturday. The gallery is located at
605 Lake Avenue in downtown
Lake Worth. Gallery openings take
place from 6 to 9 p.m. on the first
and third Fridays of each month. For
info., call (215) 205-9441 or visit
www.clayglassmetalstone.com.

Wellington To Be Featured
In The Television Show
‘Luxe World With Anolan’
By Damon Webb
Town-Crier Staff Report
Anolan Dragitsch, executive producer and
host of the television program Luxe World
With Anolan, debuts a new season this month,
showcasing Wellington in one of the early
episodes.
Luxe World With Anolan showcases “the
best of the best in luxury lifestyle” in an exciting television program. Viewers are offered
an exclusive look into world-class destinations, luxurious yachts, the latest in fashion
and beauty trends, and everything in between.
In addition, Luxe World With Anolan offers in-depth interviews with celebrities and
VIPs, which offer a peek at how the other
half lives.
“I like to keep a pulse on things new, now
and next,” Dragitsch said. “With my show,
I’m able to provide a window into the lifestyles of very influential people who live
throughout South Florida and beyond.”
Luxe World With Anolan has been featured
on E! Entertainment Television Latin America and Travel Panama, and has been seen in
over 25 countries throughout Latin America.
“I have been fortunate to meet some amazing, talented people and travel to some aweinspiring destinations,” Dragitsch said. “I am
ready to bring my show to the U.S.”
And one of the main U.S. locations
Dragitsch has her sights on is Wellington.
“When I decided to move my home base to
Palm Beach, I wanted Wellington to be one
of the areas I featured on a regular basis,”
Dragitsch said. “For this season, I filmed
some segments of the show during the Winter Equestrian Festival and saw first hand
what mass appeal it had with the media as
well as the guests who attended. The Winter
Equestrian Festival is the ultimate equestrian
lifestyle destination.”
In the Wellington segments, Anolan has
exclusive interviews with Equestrian Sport
Productions CEO Mark Bellissimo and rider/trainer Victor Segovia at Wonderland
Farms. “I am looking forward to profiling
more people in the area and showcasing Well-

Anolan Dragitsch on horseback.
ington as a top equestrian location,” Dragitsch
said.
Anolan also interviews top polo player Nic
Roldan, Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen,
International Polo Club Palm Beach President
of Operations John Wash, Toy Roxanne
Wash, polo player Agustin Molinas and polo
announcer Tony Coppola.
Anolan is currently in negotiations with Fox
to produce her own segment for a weekly
series dedicated to the always-alluring and
glamorous lifestyle scene of South Florida.
“I’m excited about this opportunity to work
with Fox. South Florida is definitely the place
for me to be,” she said. “This is where the
rich and famous come to play.”
Luxe World With Anolan airs daily from 7
to 7:30 p.m. on HolaVision TV Digital Channel 12.2, West Palm Beach Comcast channels 212 and 618, and Miami-Fort Lauderdale Comcast Channel 81. For more information, call (786) 499-1607 or visit www.luxe
worldtv.com.

May 13 - May 19, 2011

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RIBBON CUTTING FOR
PERFECT CUT LAWN
CARE SOLUTIONS

The Palms West Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting for Perfect Cut Lawn Care Solutions, a lawn maintenance and
landscaping company providing professional and manicured lawn
ser vices throughout Palm Beach County. Perfect Cut Lawn Care Solutions has been in business for over ten years. Perfect Cut Lawn
Care Solutions owner Roberto Marques strives to bring only the best
services to all customers. To contact Perfect Cut, call (561) 7900777. Shown above are Perfect Cut Lawn Care Solutions staff members with Palms West Chamber ambassadors.

The Hospice of Palm Beach
County Foundation has announced
the appointment of five respected
business leaders to its board of directors: Thomas Burns, a partner
with Cocuy, Burns & Co., P.A.;
Robert Friedman, president of RMF
Financial Inc.; Alfred G. Morici,
Esq, of counsel with Cohen, Norris, Scherer, Weinberger & Wolmer; Marilyn Siebrasse, vice president
and wealth management advisor at
the Private Client Reserve of U.S.
Bank and Beth Walton, president
and chief executive officer of the
Town of Palm Beach United Way.
“Our strength in the community
is a reflection of the leadership of

our board of directors,” Hospice of
Palm Beach County Foundation
President Greg Leach said. “We are
honored to have these outstanding
community leaders join us in our
mission.”
Morici has served as the past
president of the Palm Beach County Estate Planning Council and has
served on the boards of South Palm
Beach County Bar Association and
the Boca Raton Estate Planning
Council. He is currently a member
of the Palm Beach Yacht Club. He
holds a bachelor ’s degree from
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, his
juris doctorate is from University of
Santa Clara, and his master of law

Alfred Morici
degree is from Georgetown University. He resides in Wellington and
has one daughter.

Final Deadline For Property Taxes
Palm Beach County Tax Collector Anne Gannon is reminding property owners that the deadline to pay
delinquent property taxes is 5 p.m.
on Tuesday, May 31. After that date,
all unpaid taxes will be listed for sale
at the annual tax certificate auction.
This year, 32,146 property owners
are delinquent.
“I know that many families are
struggling,” Gannon said. “If you
have the ability to put together a
payment, I strongly encourage you

retire this obligation now. A delay
will only result in escalating costs
and fees. That’s because once a tax
certificate is sold, our agency is required to apply interest and fees.”
Florida law requires tax collectors hold an annual tax certificate
sale for delinquent property taxes
on or before June 1. A tax certificate, often referred to as a first lien,
is placed on a delinquent property
and sold through a competitive bid
process. The party who purchases a

tax certificate does not actually own
the property. They own the tax certificate, the first lien.
Delinquent taxes cannot be paid
online. Payments must be made at
a service center or by mail. Mail
payments must be received, not
postmarked, no later than 5 p.m.,
May 31. Delinquent taxes must be
paid by cash, money order, certified
check, bank draft, U.S. postal order,
cashier’s check or wire transfer.
Credit cards are not accepted.

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BUSINESS NEWS

Local FSEA Chapter Breakfast
Celebrates End Of Tax Season
Enrolled Agents and members of
the Palm Beach Chapter of the Florida Society of Enrolled Agents recently took time off to enjoy a post-

tax season breakfast.
After discussing the books that
they want to read, vacations that can
now be planned and the growing

length of to-do lists, the topic of conversation settled back on recent tax
law updates.
Also discussed at the breakfast
was the second annual Shred Fest
2011, scheduled to take place Saturday, June 4 at 10 a.m. To better
serve the north county community,
the event will be held at 1070 East
Indiantown Road in Jupiter in the
parking lot of the America Plaza.
The event is free to anyone concerned about identity theft and
wants to dispose of personal and
sensitive documents.
This event is a complimentary
service provided by the Palm Beach
Chapter of the FSEA. Enrolled
Agents (EA) are federally authorized tax practitioners who have the
technical expertise in the field of
taxation and who are empowered by
the U.S. Department of the Treasury
to represent taxpayers before all administrative levels of the Internal
Revenue Service for audits, collections and appeals.
For additional information about
the Shred Fest 2011 on June 4, visit
the Florida Society of Enrolled
Agents web site at www.fseaonline.
org.

May 13 - May 19, 2011

Page 37

PALMS WEST CHAMBER
WELCOMES PIE THAI

The Palms West Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting for Pie Thai Restaurant in Royal Palm Beach. Pie Thai is located
on the corner of State Road 7 and Southern Blvd. in the Kmart
plaza. The new owner has more than 25 years in the restaurant
business. The restaurantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s selection of delicious dishes includes
the freshest sushi and Thai specialties. Pie Thai is open every day
for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and offers an early
bird menu from 4:30 to 6 p.m. daily. For more information, call (561)
790-3979. Shown above are Pie Thai staff members with Palms
West Chamber ambassadors.

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SPORTS & RECREATION

SRHS Volleyball Boys Top Gardens To Win District Title
By Bryan Gayoso
Town-Crier Staff Report
The Seminole Ridge High School
varsity boys volleyball team traveled to Palm Beach Gardens where
they defeated the Gators in four
games to win the District 5 Championship on Thursday, May 6.
The undefeated Hawks arrived
sporting various designs signifying
team unity shaved onto their heads.
They did not disappoint the large
crowd that came to cheer them on.
The Hawks controlled the first
game of the best of five match taking it 25-18.
The Gators came back strong in

the second game, pulling ahead of
the Hawks for the first time 8-7. The
Gators remained charged up with a
16-16 tie, then pulled ahead to make
the score 17-16. Seminole Ridge
pulled ahead 21-20, but the Gators
fired back behind a strong defensive effort and stepped up the kills,
giving the home crowd a reason to
cheer. The second game ended with
a narrow 27-25 loss for Seminole
Ridge.
The Hawks regrouped and came
back strong. Players David Specian,
Wes Farber, Ray Collet and David
Frazee recorded nearly 50 kills
among them the entire match. After

losing the second game, the Hawks
never looked back, defeating the
Gators 25-14 in game three.
“We played defense well and
blocked well,” head coach Austin
Clubb said. “Everybody came together. It was a team effort. No one
player carried the others.”
The Hawks’ 25-12 victory in the
fourth game let Seminole Ridge
celebrate winning the District 5
championship.
The Hawks defeated Wellington
High School in the regional finals
Tuesday to remain undefeated. They
will face Hollywood-Chaminade on
Friday in the state semifinals.

PHOTOS BY BRYAN GAYOSO/TOWN-CRIER

Hawk Ray Collet returns a serve.

Hawk David Specian sets.

Seminole Ridge’s Tommy Mitchell returns a volley.

SRHS team members with Coach Austin Clubb and their mascot.

Seven Wolverine Athletes Sign On To Play College Sports
By Lauren Miró
Town-Crier Staff Report
Several Wellington High School
senior athletes signed to play for the
colleges of their choice on National
Athletic Signing Day held Thursday, May 5.
Seniors signing included football
players Austin Peavler, Lucas Riebe, Alex DiNardo, Amir Pollock
and Chris Thomas, girls basketball
player Mercedes Queen, and wrestler Brandon Lustgarten.
Peavler signed to play at the Florida Institute of Technology where
he plans to study sports management. He has participated in football, basketball, track and field and
weightlifting for WHS. He is a twotime Palm Beach Post First Team
All-Conference player and a 201011 Second Team All-Area player.
Peavler said he chose FIT because it was the best fit for what he
was looking for.
Riebe, a linebacker and guard for
the Wolverines, chose to attend Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C.,
where he will study sports science.
He was the 2010 defensive MVP as

well as the 2010 top lineman. He
also was a First Team All-Conference player and received an honorable mention for the all-county
team.
Riebe said he chose Catawba College because it has a great football
team as well as great academics.
DiNardo will play for Nichols
College in Lake Worth where he
will study business. He is a First
Team All-District and All-County
player, a Sun-Sentinel All-County
player and also made the Outback
Bowl.
DiNardo said he chose Nichols
because it’s a great school.
Pollock signed to play with Depauw University in Greencastle, Ind.,
where he will study philosophy. He
has played football and track and
field for the Wildcats as a running
back and a sprinter. Pollock was
awarded fourth place Class 1A in
the 100-meter dash, and the Coach’s
Award for academics.
Pollock said he chose Depauw
because it has great academics, great
athletics and great people.
Thomas chose to play at Webber

International University in Babson
Park, Fla., where he will study business administration. Thomas has
played both football and lacrosse for
the Wolverines as a linebacker and
defender respectively. He is a twotime captain for both sports, a Second Team All-Area player for the
Sun-Sentinel and the team tackle
leader for his senior year.
Thomas said he chose Webber
because he will get a great education and have the opportunity to
play for a nationally ranked team.
He credited his parents for his success.
Queen signed to play with Pacifica College in Riverside, Calif.,
where she will study kinesiology
and exercise science. She is a point
guard for the Lady Wolverines and
was the 2009-10 Defensive Player
of the Year, 2007-08 Rookie of the
Year and a two-time Second Team
All-Conference player.
Queen said she chose Pacifica because they are the only college to
offer only sports-related majors and
because of the school’s location.
Lustgarten will wrestle for Appa-

lachian State University in Boone,
N.C., where he will study international business. He holds the career
and single-season pin record, placed
fifth at the Class 3A state tournament, is a two-year team captain, a

two-time state qualifier and has the
most career team points.
Lustgarten said he chose Appalachian State because of its academics, great coaching staff and quality
Division I program.

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May 13 - May 19, 2011

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SPORTS & RECREATION

RPBHS Dancers Finish The School Year On A High Note
The Wildcat Dancers dance team
from Royal Palm Beach High
School, under the artistic direction
of master choreographer and Dance
Director Michele Blecher, had a
very busy two days Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30.
On April 29, Blecher and the
Wildcat Dancers were presenters at
New Horizons Elementary School’s
Career Day. The dancers performed
three routines (“Loco,” “Hurt” and
“Fireworks”) continuously for several hours to the enjoyment of students and faculty members.
The next night, April 30, Blecher
and the Wildcat Dancers performed
three more routines (“Loco,”
“Keeps Getting Better” and “Fireworks”) for the American Cancer
Society’s Relevo de Vida (Relay for
Life) at the South Florida Fairgrounds. American Cancer Society
staff and volunteers were so entertained by the dancers that they invited them to perform at the ACS
“Illuminations” event on July 3 at
Meyer Amphitheatre in downtown
West Palm Beach. Blecher and the
Wildcat Dancers said they feel honored and privileged to have been
asked to perform.
In other RPBHS dance news, the
school’s dance teams commanded
the stage Thursday, May 5 with their

The Wildcat Dancers with students at the New Horizons Career Day.

The Wildcat Dancers and Michele Blecher at Relevo de Vida.
final performance for the school
season, titled “Last of Me.”
The packed audience was amazed
by the dancers’ versatility, dancing
to chart-topping hits and oldies
songs including “Glow,” an in-thedark dance routine with the only
thing showing being the dancers’
flashing lighted gloves.
The show’s opening routine,
“Last of Me,” was performed by the
Wildcat Dancers dance team. The
show’s momentum grew to a foot-

stomping, crowd-cheering frenzy
by the end of the night. During the
grand bow, Blecher gave a small
speech to each of her graduating
senior dancers, handing out fine arts
honor cards to her four-year dancers. The rest of the dancers called
during the grand bow received certificates of excellence and inlaid
gold pins.
The RPBHS dancers’ next presentation, “Burlesque,” will take
place in December.

RPBHS dancers backstage at the May 5 performance.

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May 13 - May 19, 2011

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SPORTS & RECREATION

Wycliffe Hosts LPGA Teaching & Club Pros Championship
Wycliffe Golf & Country
Club was the host of the 2011
LPGATeaching & Club Professionals Southeast Section
Championship held April 30
through May 2. The Pro-Am
was held Saturday, April 30
and was enjoyed by 20 teams
of five. The 36-hole championship was held May 1-2.
The field comprised 22 players in the Championship Di-

vision and 11 players in the
Senior Division.
Jessica Carafiello was the
overall champion with a twoday total of 149 (74/75) and
will represent the Southeast
section in the 2012 LPGA
Championship presented by
Wegmans. Last year’s defending champion Annette
Deluca was runner-up. Judy
Dickinson was the Senior Di-

vision champion with a twoday total of 156.
The entire Wycliffe community came to show support
and cheer on the pros
throughout the event. “I was
so impressed by the amount
of encouragement the members at Wycliffe showed to
the ladies,” Wycliffe Director of Golf Lynn Stebbins
said. “You could really see

the impact of the cheering in
the players’ game.”
For additional background
information on the event, visit www.lpga.com.
(Right) Wyclif fe pr o Diane
McHef fey, Wycliffe member and caddy for a day Dr.
Ed Rubin and Wycliffe Director of Golf Lynn Stebbins.

Momentum Dancers
Victorious In National
Dance Competition
Dance Arts Conservatory’s
Momentum Dance Company
competed at Starpower National Dance Competition
April 30 in Fort Lauderdale.
Junior company members
Christina Kohlbeck, Quinn
Van Popering, Alexandra
Ramey, Carlie Niedzwiedzki,
Sarah Marsengill, Allie Terry, Cassandra Wiesner and
Andrea Rojas won first place
in open for “They Blinded
Me With Science.”
Junior Company members

Kohlbeck, Van Popering and
Marsengill won first place in
tap for “Rock this Town.”
Petite Company members
Allyson Steinberg, Sarah Cirincione, Gina Bernstein, Nyla
George, Tori Rosenthal, Devan Soloman, Lara Symons
and Layla Chalifoux won
first place in open for “Up.”
Dance Arts Conservatory
is located at 11260 Fortune
Circle in Wellington. For
more information, call (561)
296-1880.

Teams from South Florida
and North Carolina were the
winners Thursday, May 5 at
the Wanderers Club in the
31st annual Society of Seniors Ed Tutwiler Memorial
Four-Ball golf tournament.
Van Lefferdink of Jupiter
and Steve Earsley of Hobe
Sound won the senior division for players 55-64 years
old by three strokes, posting
a final round of 69 for 203.
They were the only team in
the flight to break 70 Thursday. It was the first Society
of Seniors title for each play-

er. Over three days, Lefferdink and Earsley were 11
under par on the last five
holes. In 54 holes they had
an eagle, 19 birdies and eight
bogeys, scoring rounds of 6866 the first two days to tie for
the second round lead. Earsley eagled the par-5 17th hole
on May 4.
The Tutwiler, the second of
seven Society of Seniors
tournaments this year, had 35
teams; most played through
intermittent rain May 5 after
two days of nearly perfect
golfing weather.

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May 13 - May 19, 2011

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May 13 - May 19, 2011

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Saturday, May 14
• On Saturday, May 14, letter carriers will
fight hunger with the 19th Annual Stamp
Out Hunger Food Drive. Postal service customers in Palm Beach County are asked to
place a bag of non-perishable food by their
mailboxes, which letter carriers will pick up
during mail delivery. Residents can also help
by volunteering to sort food collected by the
letter carriers. To volunteer, contact Feeding South Florida volunteer coordinator Leroy Green at (954) 518-1863 or lgreen@
feedingsouthflorida.org.
• Loggia Michelangelo will host a Golf Outing to Benefit St. Jude Children’s Hospital on Saturday, May 14 at the Palm Beach
National Golf & Country Club (7500 St. Andrew’s Road, Lake Worth). Check-in will begin at 7:30 a.m. with a shotgun start at 8:30
a.m. A luncheon and awards ceremony will
follow. The cost is $90 per player or $360
per foursome. Call Pat DeVivo at (561) 2491298, Dennis Piasio at (561) 641-1643 or
Sam Pittaro at (561) 968-4083 for info.
• The Wellington Women’s Club will host
its spring fundraiser “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” on Saturday, May 14 at 10 a.m. at
Binks Forest Golf Club. Proceeds will benefit the Mary Rubloff YWCA Harmony House
and college scholarships. The cost is $40.
RSVP to Cindy Yurecka at (561) 514-1497.
• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will feature “Introduction to
Quilting” for adults Saturday, May 14 at 2
p.m. led by Lorraine Strauss of the Palm
Beach County Quilters Guild. Call (561) 7906030 to pre-register.
• Wellington will host the American Cancer Society Relay for Life May 14-15 at Village Par k (11700 Pierson Road). The event
will start at 2 p.m. on Saturday and continue throughout the night, concluding with a
closing ceremony at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday.
For more info., visit www.rela yforlife.org/
wellingtonfl, or contact Teri Lane at (561)
650-0134 or teri.lane@cancer.org.
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern
Drive) will host “Chess for Beginners” for
ages 8 to 13 on Saturday, May 14 at 2:30
p.m. Learn basic moves and play a practice game. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.
• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will offer “Tween Creative
Writing” for ages 10 to 15 on Saturday, May
14 at 3 p.m. Learn about the craf t of writing and do exercises to improve your skills.
Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• Wellington and Immeasurable Theatre
will present The Tale of Peter Rabbit, a children’s live theater production, at the Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill
Blvd.) at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 14 and
Sunday, May 15. Spectators are encouraged to bring their own seating. For more
info., call (561) 727-6891.
Sunday, May 15
• The Polo Park Middle School Athletics
Department will host its inaugural Stallion
Golf Scramble on Sunday, May 15 at noon
at the Binks Forest Golf Club in Wellington.
The format will be four-man best ball and
will cost $100 per player. Contact Blake
Combs at (561) 333-5539 or michael.
combs@palmbeach.k12.fl.us for more info.
• The Palm Beac h Little League 12-U
Travel Baseball Team will hold tryouts Sunday, May 15 at Seminole Palms Park in
Royal Palm Beach. Players should arrive at
1 p.m. and meet at Field 5. The tryouts are
being held to supplement the team playing
in the Florida Premiere in the fall. The team
will also play in USSSA tournaments. Interested players must be under 13 years old.
Seminole Palms Park is located at 151 Lamstein Lane, off Southern Blvd. For info., call
(561) 308-8239 or (561) 876-8398.
Monday, May 16
• Pizzano’s Pizza (601 Royal Palm Beach
Blvd., Royal Palm Beach) will host a Hospice Fundraiser on Monday, May 16. Ten
percent of sales will go to Hospice of Palm
Beach County. For more info., call (561)
790-2345.
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern
Drive) will host a “Pirate Party” for ages 8
to 12 on Monday, May 16 at 4 p.m. Set sail
for adventure with fun pirate games and authentic pirate fare. Call (561) 790-6070 to
pre-register.
Tuesday, May 17
• The 2011 South Florida Green, Energy & Climate Conference/Expo will be held
Tuesday and Wednesday, May 17 and 18
at the Palm Beach County Convention Center (650 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm
Beach). Call Anitra Harmon of the Palms
West Chamber of Commerce at (561) 7906200 or e-mail anitra@palmswest.com for
more info.
• The Palm Beach County Commission
will meet Tuesday, May 17 at 9:30 a.m. in
the Government Center’s Jane M. Thompson Memorial Chambers (301 N. Olive Ave.,
WPB). Visit www.pbcgov.com for more info.
See CALENDAR, page 47

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR
CALENDAR, continued from page 46
• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Science in Motion” for ages 8 to 12 on Tuesday, May 17
at 4:30 p.m. Perform experiments about
forces and motion. Call (561) 790-6030 to
pre-register.
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern
Drive) will feature “Introduction to Irish
Dancing” for adults on Tuesday, May 17 at
6:30 p.m. with Marie Marzi from the Aranmore Academy of Irish Dance. Wear comfortable clothing and sneakers. Call (561)
790-6070 to pre-register.
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern
Drive) will host “Anime Grab Bag” for ages
12 to 17 on Tuesday, May 17 at 7 p.m. Call
(561) 790-6070 to pre-register.
Thursday, May 19
• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Games Around the
World” for ages 6 to 9 on Thursday, May
19 at 3:30 p.m. What games do people play
in other countries? Library staff will teach
attendees the rules. Call (561) 790-6030
to pre-register.
• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will feature “E-Resources for
Job Seekers” on Thursday, May 19 at 2 p.m.
and Wednesday, May 25 at 6:30 p.m. Learn
about online resources to support your job
search. Work on job searching, résumés
and/or filling out online applications. Bring
a flash drive to save your work. Call (561)
790-6070 to pre-register.
• The Royal Palm Beach Village Council
will meet Thursday, May 19 at 7 p.m. in the
Village Meeting Hall (1050 Royal Palm
Beach Blvd.) Visit www.royalpalmbeach.
com for more info.
• The American Legion Chris Reyka Memorial Wellington Post 390 invites all veterans to attend the Veterans Open House
Thursday, May 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the
Wellington Community Center featuring
guest speaker s raising awareness about
the American Legion and services of fered
to veterans. For more info., call (561) 7933342 or e-mail wellingtonlegion390@gmail.
com.
Friday, May 20
• Free Movie Night at the Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) will
present Big Mommas: Like Father, Like
Son on Friday, May 20 at 8 p.m. Call (561)
253-2484 for more info.
• The Maltz Jupiter Theatre Conservator y
(1001 East Indiantown Road, Jupiter) will

hold a student production of Cats Friday
through Sunday, May 20-22. For tickets, call
(561) 575-2223. For more info., call (561)
575-2672 or visit www.jupitertheatre.org.
Saturday, May 21
• The South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center will host a Gun Show Saturday and Sunday, May 21 and 22 featuring a wide collection of guns, ammo, knives, hunting supplies and accessories. A concealed weapons course will be available at the show.
Admission is $8. Visit www.flgunshows.com
for more info.
• HealthSource Chiropractic & Progressive Rehab (125 S. State Road 7, Suite
103) will host its Community/Patient Appreciation Day on Saturday, May 21. The event
will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with
tours of the facility, educational programs
and festive activities for all ages. It is open
to the public. For more info., call (561) 7924016.
• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Wii Gaming: Summer Sports Paradise Island” for ages 10
to 15 on Saturday, May 21 at 3 p.m. Celebrate with a summertime game on the Wii.
Snacks will be provided. Call (561) 7906030 to pre-register.
Sunday, May 22
• Wellington’s Temple B’nai Jacob will kick
off summer with its annual Picnic in the
Park on Sunday, May 22 at 12:30 p.m. at
the Micanopy Pavilion at Okeeheelee Park.
It will be a day filled with fun, food and activities for the whole family. The cost is $12
per adult and $8 per child; children under
2 are admitted free. RSVP to (561) 7934347 by May 16.
Monday, May 23
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern
Drive) will host “Legos” for age 8 and up
Monday, May 23 at 4 p.m. Builders create
their own vehicles or buildings out of Lego
pieces. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.
Tuesday, May 24
• The Palms West Chamber of Commerce
will host a Networking Mixer on Tuesday,
May 24 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Floor Specialists (11453 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm
Beach). For more info., contact Mary Lou
Bedford at (561) 790-6200 or marylou@
palmswest.com.
Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier,
12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 793-6090. Email: news@gotowncrier.com.